Sights of Nicosia. Nicosia, sight-seeing mosque Selimiye: photo, history

Of the many interesting cities in Cyprus, the special attention of tourists is worthy of Nicosia. The sights of this city are very diverse. There are many ancient monuments here. Nicosia is the capital of the two Cypriot republics? Turkish and Greek. People began to settle there since the seventh century BC. Museums of the city are among the top ten in all of Europe.

How to get there and move around

To get to Nicosia, most tourists arrive at Larnaca International Airport. From there you can get to the capital of Cyprus by shuttle bus. They walk regularly. You can reach the city in thirty or forty minutes. Another interesting way to get to Nicosia is to take the ferry. They come to the city port from many countries - Egypt, Israel, Lebanon. There are ferries to Nicosia and from some Greek cities of Cyprus, for example Larnaca and Limassol. To navigate, tourists are advised to take in any hotel map, which depicts the sights of Nicosia with coordinates. You can walk around them. Despite the large number of different monuments, almost all of them are concentrated in one place. And if you want to go to a longer distance, you can use municipal buses or taxi services.

History

In ancient times, this city was a small settlement. He was called Ledra. But during different periods it was repeatedly renamed. In antiquity, the city was called Lefkosia. But its heyday it reaches in the Middle Ages. In the beginning, these cities are seized by the French. A little later they are replaced by the Venetians. It was with them that she became a real beauty Nicosia. An attraction such as, for example, a defensive wall around the city, indicates that the new owners cared not only for its prosperity, but also for strengthening in front of the enemies. At the end of the sixteenth century, Nicosia fell into the hands of the Turks, and they also gave her their own charm. Coffee houses, baths, churches replaced mosques, oriental bazaars shone everywhere . Therefore, in Nicosia from time immemorial, the Greeks and Turks live, between which often there were wars and bloodshed. In order to prevent this, the UN peacekeepers are on the island. But anyway, Nicosia is the cultural center of Cyprus, and with the rich heritage of its past one can get to know both in numerous museums and on the streets of the city.

Old part and quarter Laiki Getini

Of particular interest is the historic center of the city of Nicosia. This attraction is mainly in the Turkish part, which is separated from the Greek street Ledra. Here is a mixture of architectural styles typical of Cyprus. You can walk around in both parts of the city - enough when crossing the border will fill a special insert in the passport, where you will put a stamp about staying in North Cyprus. But it's worth a visit. In the Old Town, it is good to walk along narrow picturesque streets. Of the architectural structures, the Bayyuk-Hamam baths, built on the site of the Catholic Cathedral, as well as the caravanserai, are noteworthy, under which the remains of the palace of the French rulers Lusignan are buried. The typical Cypriot quarter of Laiki Getinia is interesting, reconstructed in such a way that it recreates the atmosphere of the nineteenth century. It is completely pedestrian. There are many authentic restaurants where you can enjoy amazing Cypriot wines.

Churches and fortifications

During the reign of the French and, especially, the Venetians, many Catholic churches were built in Nicosia. But after the Turkish conquest, most of the Gothic churches were turned into mosques. For example, a small temple Bedesten, in which the cultural center is now open. And earlier it was a Byzantine church dedicated to St. Nicholas. The Panagia temple in the south of the city is also interesting. It is named after the Holy Virgin, the patroness of golden flax. Inside is a rare collection of icons. There is also the English cathedral of St. Paul, the Catholic church and several small Byzantine churches. Definitely worthy of inspection of the fortress wall, which began, but never completed the Venetians, with 11 towers and three gates of a bizarre shape. All this complex is in excellent condition, and where there used to be a ditch with water, now parks are broken. This grandiose structure is one of the pearls of the city of Nicosia. This landmark is five miles long, and each of its bastions is named after some aristocratic family. The gates also have their names - it's San Domenico (from the side of Paphos), del Providence (Kyrenia) and Julian (Famagusta).

Museums

Expositions and exhibitions are what Nicosia is rightly proud of. Places of interest The Oriental Palace, for example, demonstrates the life and luxury of noble and rich Turks. The archaeological museum acquaints with a lot of artifacts, made before our era. Here are the most valuable finds on the island. Despite the fact that when excavations began in Cyprus, many things were taken to other European countries, 14 museum rooms store unusual and rare exhibits. The Gallery of Arts deserves a visit. Moreover, it is part of the Byzantine Museum. Here is the world's richest collection of art objects of that era - 230 icons, including those relating to the so-called golden age, hand-written books, rare church utensils. And in the Granil Museum are the remains of ruined antiquities. There are very strange exhibitions in Nicosia. For example, this is the Museum of dancing dervishes. Here everything that is connected with this amazing Muslim subculture is stored.

The Selimiye Mosque (Nicosia)

This building was once the Cathedral of St. Sophia. It was built by the French in the 13-14 centuries in the late Gothic style. At times the temple served as the cathedral of all Cyprus, and here the local monarchs were crowned. Then, after various wars and earthquakes, the church suffered greatly. It was rebuilt only by the Venetians in the fifteenth century. But the architects of the Queen of the Adriatic have reconstructed the cathedral already in the Renaissance style, although some Gothic fragments are still left. After the capture of Cyprus by the Turks, the cathedral was turned into the main mosque of the island and named Selimiye. However, the church did not significantly rebuild, just added two minarets to the main building. Thanks to this, the mosque is a bizarre mixture of styles. This is one of the most remarkable monuments of architecture in Nicosia. It can be said that this is the only Gothic mosque in the world. It still works.

Nicosia (sights): reviews

Tourists who visited the capital of Cyprus are surprised that this ancient and interesting city is so little known to Russian travelers. After all, there are so many museums with amazing collections, which for one trip are hardly even possible to see. But there are tourists who prefer a beach vacation excursion such a beautiful city as Nicosia. Sights, photos of which can be seen in the article, struck their imagination. Particularly laudatory reviews were given to the original Selimiye mosque and fortress wall with bastions. Many advise to stroll along the tourist street Ledros and visit both parts of Nicosia - Greek and Turkish.