2. The history of Nicosia
Our city’s history has been spread
from mouth to mouth from family
to family and still is until today.
3. How Nicosia got its
name
Ayia Paraskevi church
Nicosia’s first name was Ledra
or Ledrae. One of Ledra’s kings
was Onasagoras. Unfortunately
Ledra was destroyed early, but
rebuilt by Lefkonas , son of
Ptolemy I around in 300 B.C.
Today Ledra is in the Ayia
Paraskevi hill in the south of
the city . That's how Nicosia got
it’s name from, from Lefkonas.
4. The Venetian
walls
The Venetian walls
The Venetians built the
walls to protect them
from the Ottomans . They
started building them in
1462 . The build took
almost 100 years. They
started from having one
gate, then two, then four,
eight and ended up with
eleven. The Venetian
walls were built in the
middle of Nicosia.
5. The green line
The green line
The green line cross’s the
middle of Nicosia. It
represents the occupied
Cyprus and the free
Cyprus. In 1974 Cyprus
had a battle against
Turkey and unfortunately
Cyprus lost . Today if we
want to cross the green
line we have to show our
passport
6. Famagusta Gate
Famagusta gate
Famagusta Gate is the largest and
most impressive of the three gates of
the walls of Nicosia, Built in 1567 by
the Venetians, and originally called
the Porta Giuliani after its designer,
it served travellers entering and
leaving the city from the east of the
island. The outer entrance is a simple
gateway, situated just under the
Caraffa bastion, which leads into a
long passageway through the walls to
the much larger and more impressive
inner gateway. Midway along the
passageway is a cupola in the roof,
which provided somewhat meagre
illumination and was a place where
food vendors would wait for weary
travellers.
7. Ottoman rule
The old Nicosia aqueduct
On 1 July 1570, the Ottomans invaded the
island. On 22 July, Piyale Pasha having
captured Paphos, Limassol and Larnaca
marched his army towards Nicosia and laid
siege to the city.The city managed to last 40
days under siege until its fall on 9 September
1570. Some 20,000 residents died during the
siege and every church, public building, and
palace was looted. After its siege it was
reported that the walls were ruined and
Nicosia retained very few inhabitants. The
main Latin churches were converted into
mosques, such as the conversion of Saint
Sofia Cathedral. From 1570 when the
Ottomans took over Nicosia, the old river bed
through the walled city was left open and
was used as a dumping ground for refuse,
where rainwater would rush through clearing
it temporarily
8. Kyrenia Gate
Kyrenia gate
The Kyrenia Gate is one of the three
entrances to the city built by the
Venetians. The gate was originally
called the "Porta Del Proveditore".
Kyrenia gate has undergone several
changes since its Venetian days. In
1821 the Turks restored it and added
a square chamber with a domed roof,
and in 1931 the British demolished
the section of the walls around it to
facilitate the traffic into and out of
the city.
Still visible however is a panel
recording the date of its building and
a stone tablet inscribed with verses
from the Koran.
9. Paphos Gate
Paphos gate
Paphos Gate, is the smallest of the three original
Venetian-built entrances to the walled city,
along with Famagusta Gate and Kyrenia Gate. It
was formerly known as Porta San Domenico, from
the famous mediaeval monastery of St. Dominic,
that had been situated close by and was
demolished by the Venetians when they
strengthened the old Lusignan walls. It was also
known as the ‘Upper Gate’ because of its high
altitude, 490ft above sea level.
The gate is a simple affair, being no more than a
simple opening in the walls, roofed by a barrel
vault. This Gate served all the roads leading to
the western part of The island. During the British
Colonial period, a section of the Venetian wall
alongside Paphos Gate was opened to allow the
ever-increasing flow of traffic to pass in and out
of the city.
The Paphos Gate is as far round the walls that
you can go in a clockwise direction, as the area
beyond is part of North Cyprus. Here you are
tight against the green line and one of its
anomalies, the Catholic church of the Holy cross,
with its front door in the Greek side, and its back
door in the Turkish area.
12. The Holy Monastery of the Virgin of Kykkos was founded around the end of the
11th century by the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos (1081–1118). The
monastery lies at an altitude of 1318 meters on the north west face of Troödos
Mountains. There are no remains of the original monastery as it was burned down
many times. The first President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III started his
ecclesiastical career there as a monk in 1926.[2] He remained fond of the place
and returned there many times. His request to be buried there materialised after
his death in 1977. His tomb lies 3 km west of Kykkos monastery and remains a
popular visitor destination.
13. 1) Hamam Omerye Baths
One of the most beautiful and well kept Turkish baths in Europe can
be found in the heart of Greek Nicosia. The carefully restored
Hamam Omerye Baths were built during the Turkish occupation,
converted from a church that once existed in its place. The baths
consist of a mottled beige and yellow rusticated outer wall,
contrasting with the smooth, cream domes behind. On cold winter
days the steam from the baths leaves white trails in the clear blue
sky.
14. The Cyprus Museum (also known as the Cyprus Archaeological Museum) is the oldest and largest
archaeological museum in Cyprus.
The museum houses artefacts discovered during numerous excavations on the island. The museum is
home to the most extensive collection of Cypriot antiquities in the world and is located on Museum
Street in central Nicosia. Its history goes hand in hand with the course of modern archaeology (and the
Department of Antiquities) in Cyprus. Of note is that only artefacts discovered on the island are
displayed.
15. 2) Dervis Pasa Konagi (Dervish Pasha Mansion)
Built in the early 19th century, this large courtyard house
belonged to Dervis Pasa, the owner of the first Turkish language
newspaper in Cyprus.
It lies in the Arabahmet district, near to the Green line and full
both restored and ruinous (partially or almost fully) houses,
some of which were once imposing Ottoman mansions.
This one has been taken over, restored and is now used as an
ethnographical museum. The building itself is lovely set around
a central courtyard with cistern and well.
Rooms have been furnished appropriately, with both fittings and
mannequins in local dress. There are some beautifully-carved
dowry chests, and a kitchen full of unfamiliar tools and
equipment.
Upstairs there are displays of embroidery, and outside (near the
beautifully clean toilets) is the owner's personal hammam.
Well worth visiting, if only for an insight into how moneyed
Turkish Cypriots lived in the 19th century.
16. The Walls of Nicosia
When Venetians came to Cyprus they decided to build walls around of Nicosia to protect it.
There were moats outside the walls filled with water to prevent enemies from attacking the
city. The walls had the shape of a star and three gates which connected Nicosia to the other
cities: to the North Kyrenia Gate, to the west Paphos Gate and to the east Famagusta Gate.
The walls are preserved until today but Nicosia is much bigger. We call the part of Nicosia
which is inside the walls Old City and the part outside them New City.
18. CHARACTERISTICS OF CYPRIOTS
CYPRIOTS - WHO THEY ARE?
If you ask someone in Cyprus to explain to you who CYPRIOTS are,
the answer will not be as simple as it seems…….
Cypriots are not always described simply as “Cypriots”. The word is
often used together with the prefix “Greek” or “Turkish” in recognition
of the two major ethnic groups that inhabit the island:
• the Greek-speaking Greek Orthodox community, and
• the Turkish-speaking Muslim community.
Besides them there are several other smaller communities, eg.
Armenians, Maronites and Latins. Some of these have inhabited the
island for many centuries.
19. LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY CYPRIOTS
The official languages of Cyprus are Greek,
Turkish and English.
However, it is important to note that the
Greek spoken in Cyprus is a strong dialect,
with about 15% of the words peculiar to
Cyprus. This means that people from Greece
often find it hard to understand a conversation
among Greek Cypriots.
20. RELIGIONS IN CYPRUS
Most Greek Cypriots belong to the Orthodox
Church of Cyprus (78%), while most Turkish
Cypriots are Muslim (18%). Other religions
represented on the island include Catholics,
Maronites and Armenian Apostolics (4%).
Greek Orthodox, Catholics, Armenians, Maronites,
Muslims and Jews co-exist peacefully on the
island.
22. MOST EDUCATED ISLAND IN EUROPE
In Cyprus, there is a great tendency for people to become educated,
hence the great majority of the population studies at least one degree
at a national or an international university.
Cyprus enjoys 97.6% literacy, with a school life expectancy of 14 years
and with the university graduates being more per capita than anywhere
else in Europe.
One could even argue that Cyprus suffers from an “over-qualified
population”, with an overwhelming number of Cypriots holding post-
graduate degrees.
The education system in Cyprus is backed up by public and private
schools with Greek, English, Turkish, Armenian and Russian as the
language of instruction, which reflects the multicultural nature of the
island and its people.
23. CYPRUS CULTURE
The culture of Cyprus is divided between two distinct
cultures: Greek and Turkish. Each community maintains
its own culture, linked to the cultures of Greece and
Turkey.
However, Cyprus' unique location and history have
brought diverse cultures around the Mediterranean
together and it is evident in certain aspects of the
language and cuisine.
24. WHAT ARE CYPRIOTS KNOWN FOR?
They are very hospitable with authentic friendly smile on their
faces,
They are loyal to family bonds, traditions and culture,
They are lovers of nice food and endless entertainment,
They are well-known for their desire to always spend moments
of joy by giving great emphasis to the good quality of life,
They like to work for living and not to live for working. People in
Cyprus love to get together and spend lovely time in nice leisure
places.
