Attractions of Nicosia
Even in modern Europe, the situation when the capital is not the most popular tourist city in the country is more a rarity than a commonplace. From such examples, I immediately recall only Spain with its Catalan pearl - Barcelona and Cyprus, whose capital - Nicosia - is a little lost against the background of other cities - Limassol, Paphos, Larnaca and others. Perhaps the point here is that Cyprus, being a member of the European Union, nevertheless geographically belongs to Asia, and, as any Russian knows, the East is a delicate matter. However, Nicosia definitely has something to see.
Nicosia is formally divided into the Old City - the central part of the capital, surrounded by fortified walls and including the main attractions, and the New City, which combines modern business and residential areas.
Fortress wall and bastions of the Old Town
It is worth noting that the fortifications, united by the fortress wall surrounding the Old City, are in themselves one of the main attractions of Nicosia. Eleven bastions, connected by a fortress wall, more than 5 kilometers long, were erected during the reign of the Venetian Doges in Cyprus, to protect against Ottoman invasions. Until the end of the twentieth century, the fortress wall was not in the best condition, but in 1996 its full-scale reconstruction began. The northern part of the fortress wall, which includes the famous Kyrenia Gate, is located in the territory of North Nicosia and belongs to the Turkish part of Cyprus.
Laiki Getinia - Old Town district
The main architectural attraction of the Old City, in addition to the already mentioned fortress wall and bastions, can be called one of the districts of the old city - Laiki Getinia. You can enjoy the extraordinary beauty of Cypriot architecture in one of the hundreds of cafes and restaurants that fill this fascinating quarter. Life in Laiki Getinia does not subside even late at night, which makes its bustling streets in common with similar quarters in other European cities - for example, the Latin Quarter of Paris, or the Rambla in Barcelona.
Saint Sophie Cathedral
One of the interesting cathedrals in Nicosia is the Hagia Sophia. When it was created as a traditional Gothic cathedral, after the capture of the island by the Ottoman Empire, it was converted into a mosque. A strange Gothic ensemble with attached minarets, at first glance, evokes a feeling of unreality of what he saw. Other famous churches of Nicosia - the Church of Our Lady, the Cathedral of St. John, the Church of Faneromeni and Chrysaliniotissa are also of interest to visitors to the city.
East market
Outside the Old City, tourists will be interested in the traditional oriental bazaar, reminding that Cyprus is the Middle East after all. Also, the Eastern Palace and Buyuk Khan, the largest caravanserai in Cyprus, will tell a lot about Turkish influence in Cyprus.
