Nicosia, Cyprus

Nicosia, aka Lefkosia, is the capital of Cyprus. It lies toward the center of the island and has been the capital since the 11th Century AD. As we were staying on the southwest of the island, our trip involved a 3+ hour drive back toward Larnaca (airport) and then north into the hilly area that lies between the Troodos Mountains (east) and the Pentadaktylos Range (north along the coast). This building is unfortunately typical of what we encountered when we passed thru the check point from Cyprus to "The Turkish Republic of Cyprus". Very little new construction and many of the extremely old buildings of combination of stone, mud bricks and various types of wood - quite close together. Very, very old world feeling surrounded us the majority of our visit.

Efes, a Turkish brew was a new beer for us. Efes Pilsen gets its unique taste from rice added into the ingredients at brewing stage. The 5.0% ABV beer has been described to have a tangy malt and hops aroma, rich malt and a bitter-sweet finish that becomes dry and hoppy - Christine was pleased!

Early lunch at one of many sidewalk restaurants and cafes. Scott plotted our tour while Christine went inside to look at the wonderful selection. The service was exceptional and the price was amazingly good.

Buyuk (Great) Khan was build of yellow stone in 1576. A khan is an ancient hotel. The two-storied khan, has 68 rooms and 10 shops, was constructed on a square plan. The rooms downstairs were used as shops, storage rooms and stables. Upstairs were bedrooms feature fireplaces. There is a water tank with a fountain placed on columns at the center of the court and a prayer room. It is now used as a cafe, art gallery, and shops full of traditional folk art (lace, weaving, etc). The courtyard is huge and we noted many people having coffee and listening to traditional musicians.

Christine standing at one of the huge entrace doors to the Buyuk Khan. Note the prayer room in the center of the courtyard.

This is the remains of Himarcilar Khan (the khan for merchants using donkeys). The two-story building was also built on a square plan and according to official North Cyprus map, it has only 44 of its original 56 rooms remaining (like one could tell the difference). This khan is on a much smaller and less grand scale than the Buyuk Khan only a block south. It was built in the 18th century and has fallen into a dismal state of neglect. One of the sides looks slightly better; however, the full grown trees and rubish thrown into the site obscure much of its former style.

Buyuk Haman (Turkish Bath) is an authentic ottoman period structure. It is generally accepted that the bath was built partly with the material taken from the ruins of St. George de Poulains (reusing building materials is quite common in the Middle East). Scott is standing on the steps down into the Baths because the road level has been raised. The rooms of the baths remain at a lower level than the road and this building was in pristine condition - but then again it is a money maker! Scott had to posed beside the sign because of his friend Jerry Clark's famous opening line about the turkish baths.

The granite column in Ataturk Square is a tribute to Venetian rule in Cyprus. Originally it had a carved lion (St. Mark) and featured coats of arms of noble Venatian families, most of which are still discernable. The Ottmans removed the lion and toppled the column in 1570. Fortunately they left the column intact and it was re-erected by the British, who replaced the lost lion with a bronze orb. The Square today has small restaurants and cafes, where we noticed men playing backgammon and drinking coffee. The large building behind Christine was build by the British it is...

The British Colonial Law Courts. It was built in 1901 of yellow sandstone and is a city block square with the ever-present center courtyard. Notice the two flags flying: Turkish and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus - flow together all over this half of the capital. At the corner closest to the Venetian Column is a platform that carries the British Royal Coat of Arms, which was built in memory of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. It was covered with plexiglass, how odd!

Built in 1845, the Arabahmet Pashe Mosque is an example of classical Ottoman architecture and named after one of the (many) conquerors of Cyprus Arap Ahmet Pasha. The mosque relects the style of the 16th century. The grounds were immaculate and an oasis of green in the fairly grey atmosphere on the Turkish side of the capital.

These vaults are so unique in style and intricate carving - all floral (no animal images are pemitted in Islam). We were interested in the columns at each end of the crypt, one end taller than the other and with writing in arabic.

A row of crypts again the outside wall of the mosque area. Some of the important ottoman pashas (a pasha governs a province) are buried in the graveyard of the mosque.

Walking thru the Arabamet Quarter we noted many buildings in a state of total disrepair. The first-story windows have been filled in with rocks, doors/windows and shutters lean again the walls and building materials are scattered about throughout the patchwork of the repairs that have been done. Unfortunately this was a typical site.

At the Dervis Pasha Mansion (built in the 19th century) we noticed this wall at back of the courtyard. The wall's construction was so interesting with stone/mortar at the base (yes that is the beginnings of the arched doorway to the right). The second level of materials seems to been mud brick covered with a layer of more mud and followed by another layer of mud and mixed medium bricks. This is the area where the kitchen, bathrooms and lavatories are located away from the main living ara.

Second floor men's majlis (meeting area) is the largest room in the Pasha Mansion; the mansion was repaired in 1988 with financial help from the Republic of turkey. Dervish Pasha was the editor of Zaman, the first Turkish newspaper in Cyprus, which is why his home was restored by the Department of Antiquities. The first floor was used as a store, with servant and service rooms being there and the second floor was living space for the family. Notice that only men are in this meeting room (Christine looks pained just being inside the doorway). Separate living spaces are also typical in Middle Eastern homes.

UN troops are still present in Nicosia - note the wite car with UN tags and UN signage on the door. Very odd!

Walked out of old-world atmosphere of Northern, Turkish-controlled Nicosia into a vibrant street mall atmosphere. Scott spotted the gyro vendor. We agreed that as neither of us may ever visit again, Scott needed to taste one. It was huge and Scott was not able to finish. Christine opted for a Keo on her way out of town.

Now for a bit of history on Nicosia. It is now Europe's only militarily divided city. One of the world's oldest cities, Nicosia was the center of an independent kingdom as early as the 7th century BC. It was under Byzantine rule in the early 4th century AD and passed to Guy of Lusignan (the Latin king of Jerusalem) in 1192. the Lusignan kings held Nicosia until it was captured in 1489 by the Venetians (remember the Venetian column). The city passed to the Ottoman Turks in 1571 and to the British in 1878. It was made capital of British-ruled Cyprus in 1925. Nicosia became the capital of independent Cyprus in 1960.

The city has been divided into Turkish and Greek Cypriot zones since the Turkish invasion in 1974. The Northern side of Cyprus (and Nicosia) is considered to be an occupied region whose claim of independent stateoood is recognized only by Turkey. Approximately 37% of Cypriot territory (including Northern Nicosia) is considered occupied area.

Of further note, all Cypriots call this city "Lefkosia" with only a slightly different spelling from North to South. Now, isn't that odd?

In closing, we would like to add that we decided to spend our time in Nicosia on the Northern Turkish-controlled side. We know that should we have the opportunity to visit Cyprus again, we have the unexplored eastern areas of the country & the cosmopolitan and bustling side of Nicosia for adventure. In some ways we both felt a bit like we did back in 1983 when we experienced a divided East/West Berlin... none of the apprehension, but the difference in living standards and conditions of the city were certainly apparent.

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