Nicosia, known locally as
Lefkosia (, ), is the
capital and largest city of
Cyprus. Located on the River
Pedieos and situated almost in the centre of the island, it is the seat of government as well as the main business centre. Nicosia is the capital of the
Nicosia District.
Following the
intercommunal violence of the 1960s, the capital was divided between the island's
Greek Cypriot and
Turkish Cypriot communities in the south and north respectively. An attempted coup to unite the island with Greece in 1974 led to a
Turkish invasion, leaving the capital divided since then, with Turkish Cypriots claiming the north as the capital of their own state,
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) (recognised only by
Turkey). On 3 April 2008, as part of efforts to reunify the island, a symbolic wall dividing the two communities at
Ledra Street was opened. Nicosia retains the distinction of being the world's last divided capital.
South of the
Green Line, the population of the city is 270,000 (late 2004), while a further 84,893 live in the north. Nicosia is important commercially with many shops, two modern shopping malls, restaurants and entertainment. The city is a trade centre and manufactures
textiles,
leather,
pottery, plastic, and other products.
Copper mines are nearby. Nicosia is the seat of the
University of Cyprus (UCY) and four other universities.
History
thumb|[[Venice|Venetian Wall fortifications, Nicosia]]
thumb|right|[[Kykkos Monastery (Metochion Kykkou) in
Engomi, Nicosia]]
thumb|"Parthenagogeio Faneromenis"-Faneromeni School:façade
Nicosia was a
city-state known as
Ledra or
Ledrae in ancient times. The king of Ledra,
Onasagoras, was recorded as paying tribute to
Esarhaddon of
Assyria in 672 BC. Rebuilt by Lefkos, son of
Ptolemy I around 300 BC, Ledra in Hellenic and Roman times was a small, unimportant town, also known as
Lefkothea. By the time it received its first Christian bishop,
Trifillios, in 348, the town was called
Lefkousia or
Ledra.
Still known as Lefkosia, the city became the island's capital around the 10th century. It had grown in importance because of threats to the coastal cities
Paphos and
Salamis, which made many people flee to the centrally located Lefkosia.
The seat of the
Lusignan kings of Cyprus since 1192, it became a
Venetian possession in 1489, and fell to the
Ottoman Empire in 1571. Ledra is now the actual name of the most popular commercial street.
The
exonym "Nicosia" appeared with the arrival of the Lusignans. The "Frankish" Crusaders either could not, or did not care to, pronounce the name
Lefkosia, and tended to say "Nicosia". In this era of the Franks, the city expanded culturally, and in the 15th and 16th centuries, saw the erection of a number of palaces, mansions, churches and monasteries.
Some 20,000 residents died as a result of the Ottoman siege of 1570. Man-made and natural disasters further struck the city during the 19th century. The Turks crushed the 1821 anti-Ottoman revolt in blood.
Cholera hit the city in 1835, and fire destroyed large parts of Nicosia in 1857. The
British Empire gained control over the island in 1878, with Nicosia serving as the capital of the new British possession.
Nicosia was the scene of extreme violence in the period just prior to Cypriot independence in 1960. Since the Greek supported coup and Turkish invasion which followed it in 1974, part of the city's northern sector has been inside the boundary of a
United Nations Buffer Zone.
The tombs of the
Lusignan kings are in the former Cathedral of
St. Sophia, now a mosque in the northern sector.
The core of the city also has well-preserved Venetian fortifications, built in the 16th century, which encircle the old, medieval part of the city.
Government
As the capital of the republic, Nicosia is Cyprus's political, economic and cultural centre. Greater Nicosia is subdivided into seven municipalities, but the metropolitan authority is the Municipality of Nicosia itself – within whose boundaries the Constitution states that the main government buildings and headquarters must be situated. The other municipalities in the city are
Strovolos,
Lakatamia,
Latsia,
Aglandjia,
Engomi and
Agios Dhometios.
According to the constitution of Cyprus Nicosia Municipality was divided into a Greek and Turkish sector with two Mayors: a representative of the
Greek community which was the majority, and a second one representing the
Turkish community. The Mayors and the members of the Council were appointed by the
President of the Republic. Since 1986, the Mayors and members of the Council are elected. The Mayor and the Municipal Councillors are elected by direct popular suffrage but into separate ballots – one for the Mayor and the other for all the Councillors. Municipal elections are held every five years.
thumb|left|240px|Aerial View of Central NicosiaThe Municipality of Nicosia is now headed by the Mayor, who is
Eleni Mavrou (former lagilator of the
communist party AKEL, supported by her own political party, socialist party
EDEK and the
Democratic Party and the council comprising of 26 councilors, one of who is Deputy Mayor. The Northern Sector has its own
de facto municipality, but that municipality is not internationally recognised because it is part of the
non-recognised Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
The Mayor and the Councillors exercise all the powers vested in them by the Municipal Corporation Law. Sub-committees consisting of members of the Municipal Council act only on an advisory level and according to the procedures and regulations issued by the Council.
The Mayor is the executive authority of the Municipality, exercising overall control and managing the Municipal Council. The Council is responsible for appointing personnel employed by the Municipality. All municipalities in the Republic of Cyprus are members of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities. The executive Committee is the governing organ of the Union. This Committee is appointed from among the representatives of the Municipalities for a term of two and a half years. The Mayor of Nicosia is the President of the Union and the Chairman of the Executive Committee.
Climate
Landmarks
thumb|left|200px|Nicosia seen from Spot Satellitethumb|Municipal Theatre, Nicosiathumb|Eleftheria (Liberty) Monument, Nicosiathumb|The Pancyprian Gymnasium in the Old City Section of Nicosia
thumb|View of Central NicosiaAlthough the city has been destroyed more than once by conquerors, there are still enough leftovers to enjoy the past. History is most strikingly experienced at the
Venetian city wall, which was constructed between 1567 and 1570. The 4,5 metres thick wall used to have three gates. The
Famagusta gate is now used as a cultural centre. Some other parts of the wall contain administrative offices. The historical centre is clearly present inside the walls, but the modern city has grown beyond.
The heart of the city is Eleftheria (Freedom) Square, with the city hall, the post office and the library. Adjacent Ledra street leads to the most lively part of the old city with narrow streets, boutiques, and cafés. Agia Fanomereni is a church built in 1872, constructed with the remains of an old castle and a convent. Here rest the Archbishop and the other Bishops who were killed by the Turks during the 1821 revolt. The Palace of the Archbishop can be found at Arkhiepiskopos Kyprianos Square. Although it seems very old, it's a wonderful imitation of typical Venetian style, built in 1956. Next to the palace is the late
Gothic Saint John cathedral (1665) with picturesque frescos.
Nicosia is also known for its fine museums. The Archbishop's Palace contains a
Byzantine museum where you can admire the largest collection of religious icons on the island. Leventis Municipal Museum is the only historical museum of Nicosia and revives the old ways of life in the capital from ancient times up to our days. Other interesting museums include the Folk Art Museum, National Struggle Museum (witnessing the
rebellion against the British administration in the 1950s), Cyprus Ethnological Museum(House of Dragoman Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios) and the Handicrafts Centre.
In Nicosia also there are
mosques, like the
Selimiye Mosque. This ancient church is the chief mosque in the Turkish occupied part of Nicosia, and the great festivals of
Bayram and other
Moslem gatherings are conducted here. It was formerly the cathedral of St. Sophia which was built in the period 1209 A.D. to 1228, over the ruins of a previous building.
Other famous mosques are
Haydarpasha Mosque, and
Arabahmet MosqueMayors of Nicosia
thumb|right|Leoforos (Avenue) Makariou in the city centrePre-Independence (1882-1959)
Post-Independence (1959-Present)
Culture
thumb|right|Beginning of Lemesos Avenue, Nicosiathumb|left|The Entrance to the Gardens of Kykkos Monastery, Nicosia
In 2006 the
Manifesta Biennale was scheduled to be held in Nicosia for a duration of three months. The project was canceled, however, with the overseas and local organizers blaming each other for its collapse.
The city also hosted the competition of
Miss Universe 2000 in
Eleftheria Indoor Hall.
The city contains
Arabahmet Mosque.
Economy
Cyprus Airways has its head office in the southern side of the city.
Cyprus Turkish Airlines has its head office on the North Cyprus side.
Professional sport
Clubs
Football
Football is the most popular sport in Cyprus, and Nicosia is home of three major teams of the island;
APOEL,
Olympiakos and
Omonia. APOEL and Omonia dominate
Cypriot football. APOEL has the record on number of championships and
cups.
Olympiakos was also successful in the past. There are also many other football clubs in Nicosia and suburbs.
Other sports
Nicosia is also the home for many clubs for basketball,
handball and other sports. APOEL and Omonia have
basketball and
volleyball sections and
Keravnos is one of the major basketball teams of the island. The Gymnastic Club Pancypria (GSP), the owner of the
Neo GSP Stadium, is one of the major athletics club of the island. Also, all teams in the
Futsal First Division are from Nicosia.
Venues
Nicosia has some of the biggest venues in the island; The
Neo GSP Stadium, the biggest in Cyprus, with capacity of 23,400 is the home for the
national team,
APOEL,
Olympiakos and
Omonia. The other big football stadium in Nicosia is
Makario Stadium with capacity of 16,000.
The
Eleftheria Indoor Hall is the biggest basketball stadium in Cyprus, with capacity of 6,500 seats and is the home for
the
national team,
APOEL and
Omonia.
The
Lefkotheo indoor arena is the volleyball stadium for APOEL and Omonia.
International/European Events
Nicosia hosted the
2000 ISSF World Cup Final shooting events for the shotgun. Also the city hosted two basketball events; the European Saporta Cup in 1997 and the 2005
FIBA Europe
All Star Game in the
Eleftheria Indoor Hall. Another event which was hosted in Nicosia were the
Games of the Small States of Europe in 1989 and 2009.
Transportation
Nicosia International Airport has not been used since 1974 as it lies within the U.N. Buffer Zone separating the two parts of Nicosia. The nearest airport on the Greek administered side is
Larnaca International Airport on the southern coast.
Motorways link Nicosia with other major urban areas in Cyprus. The
A1 connects it with
Limassol in the south with the
A6 going from Limassol onto
Paphos.
The
A2 links Nicosia with the south eastern city of
Larnaca with the
A3 going from Larnaca to
Ayia Napa. The
A9 is currently under construction and would connect Nicosia to the
Troodos mountains.
There are many taxi companies in Nicosia. Besides the taxi companies, there is a taxi rank at the
Eleftheria square(City Center), where you can find taxis twenty-four hours a day. Taxi fares are regulated by law and taxi drivers are obliged to use a
taximeter.
Public transport within the city is limited to a bus network operated by the subsidised Nicosia Bus Company. Currently plans are underway to expand and modernise this with a European Union grant. There is no train or
metro system.
Between 1905 and 1951, Nicosia was a prominent station of the
Cyprus Government Railway.
Twinnings
Collaborations
Famous Nicosians
- Fazıl Küçük former vice president of the Republic of Cyprus (1960-1963).
Gallery
File:monastiri_nicosia.jpg|The interior of Kykkos Monastery Kykkos Monastery (Metochion Kykkou), Nicosia
File:monastiri_kipoi.jpg|The gardens of Kykkos Monastery (Metochion Kykkou), Nicosia
File:municipal_theatre.jpg|Municipal Theatre during Christmas
File:Makariou_avenue_nicosia.jpg|National Bank of Greece Building, Makariou Avenue, Nicosia
File:archbishobic_palace.jpg|Archbishop's Palace, Nicosia
File:eleftheria_square.jpg|Eleftheria square, Nicosia
File:traditional_house_nicosia.jpg|Typical Traditional Architecture, Nicosia
File:traditional_door_nicosia.jpg|Detail of a Traditional Door, Nicosia
File:eklisia_palia_poli.jpg|Church in the Old City
File:Nicosia Ledra street border.jpg|Quiet moment at the Ledra Street crossing.
File:al_fresco_laiki.jpg|Dining al fresco in the so-called Folkloric Area of Nicosia (Laiki Yeitonia)
File:pyli_ammochostou_lefkosia.jpg|Famagusta Gate (Pyli Ammochostou)
See also
