Nikosia, the capital of Cyprus,
is divided between the Turkish occupied north and the government controlled
south. The most interesting part of the city to visit is the Old
City, a picturesque fusion of
16th-century walls, pedestrian precincts, pavement cafes and squares, brimming
with charm and character.
Cyprus
Archeological Museum
This museum has displays of archaeological artifacts from all over the
island. Some of the exhibits are as old as 8,500 years. The museum is arranged
in chronological order. The first hall contains artifacts, including pottery
and implements, from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods. The other rooms
trace the history of Cyprus
through the ages from the Bronze Age, Hellenic Period, Mycenaean times, and
Roman Period to the early Byzantine. In the basement there are several
reconstructed graves resting in a dark cellar complete with skeletal remains
and grave adornments.
Byzantium Museum
The Byzantine Museum
in the Old City of Nikosia contains the largest collection of icons on the
island. The icons date from the 9th through to the 18th centuries. The museum
also has an art gallery exhibiting oil paintings, maps and lithographs.
St. John’s Cathedral
The Greek Orthodox Cathedral in the Old
City was built in 1662 by
Archbishop Nikiforos and dedicated to Saint John
the Theologian. The 18th-century wall paintings show Biblical scenes and
illustrate the discovery of the tomb of Saint Barnabas at Salamis.
The Cathedral’s prize features, however, are the iconostasis of carved wood
covered with gold leaf, and the magnificent double-headed eagles.
Old City
Walls
The walls that completely encircle the Old
City date from the Venetian era in
the 16th century, and have a circumference of three miles. Eleven heart-shaped
bastions are interspersed along the walls, which have only three gates, in the
north, south and east. The Famagusta Gate, has been restored and serves as the Lefkosia
Municipal Cultural
Center, used for exhibitions,
conferences, lectures and occasional performances. The gate’s vaulted passage
leads on to the moat encircling the Old
City, which has been converted into
a garden.