Muscum Street Tel: (02)30-2189
Priceless and fascinating collection
of Cypriot
antiquities and
art treasures from the Neolithic Age to the early Byzantine
Period.
Arch. Makarios III Foundation, Cultural Centre, within the
Archbishopric, Arch.
Kyprianos
Square Tel: (02) 456781.
Largest collection of icons on the island,
covering the period from 9th to 18th
century. The Art
Galleries contain oil paintings, maps, lithographs
etc.
Within
the Old Archbishopric,
Arch. Kyprianos Square Tel: (02) 463205.
Wide collection of Cypriot
folk art of the 19th and early 20th
century, including wood-carved objects, tapestry, embroidery, pottery, national costumes
and hand-woven
materials.
Near the Archbishopric,
Arch. Kyprianos
Square Tel: (02)30-2465
Documents, photos and other memorabilia of the 1955-1959 National
Liberation Struggle.
Within the
Archbishopric,
Arch. Kyprianos Square.
Built by Archbishop
Nikiforos in 1662, the recently restored 18th
century wall paintings depict
biblical scenes and the discovery of the tomb of Saint
Barnabas at Salamis.
Dedicated to Ayios loannis (Saint
John).
Centre of the Cyprus Orthodox Church, the new Archbishopric built in a
neo-byzantine style
in 1960, contains the private suite of the late Archbishop Makarios. Open to the public
only on
special occasions.
Patriarch Gregoriou Street near the Archbishopric.
Originally a
Venetian Building. It
is
probably the most important 18th century building in Nicosia. It was once the house
of the Dragoman Hadjigeorgakis
Kornessios. The
house is being restored and will house the Cyprus Ethnographic
Museum. Hadjigeorgakis Kornessios house has
won the Europa Nostra
award in 1988.
Nikiforos Phokas Avenue
Tel: (02) 430877
The
Venetian
walls which completely encircle the old city have a circumference of 4.5 km
and possess eleven heart-shaped bastions. There were only three entries
to the city
through gates,
in the north, south and east. One of these gates, the Porta Giuliana, called the
Famagusta Gate has been
restored and is now the
Nicosia Municipal Cultural Centre. The large imposing gate
itself leads into a long passage with a
central cupola, which cuts through
the walls and comes out in the
moat. On both sides are high, stonewalled guard-rooms. The
restored passage and rooms arc used for
exhibitions, conferences, Iectures and various performances. The oId quarter of the
town, close to the
Famagusta Gate, is
also beinR restored.
Within walking distance from the Archbishopric. Considered the
oldest Byzantine church in
Nicosia
it is dedicated to 'Our Lady of the Ciolden Flax' and is believed to
have been built in 1450 by Queen Helena
Palaeologos.
Near
the
Old Municipal Market within the walled city.
Converted into a mosque in 1571 by Mustapha Pasha,
who
believed that the
original 14th century Augustinian church of St. Mary's, was built on the spot where
prophet
Omer rested when visiting Nicosia. Most
of the original building was destroyed by Ottoman artillery.
Engraved tombstones of
the Lusignan period were used to re-floor the
mosque. Remains of late Venetian
building can be seen near the east end of the
mosque.
Onassagoras street, within the old city.
Built in I872 this
used to be the largest
church in
Nicosia. The marble mausoleum to the east of the church contains the relics
of he bishops and priests executed by
the Turks in
1821.
Solon Street, near Laiki Yitonia
Built by Archbishop Germanos II
in 1695 this is an
interesting example of the Franco-Byzantine style. The rich interior, the unusually wide
iconostasis and silver-covered icon
indicatc
this was once a 'society' church.
Rcstored pedestrian area within the walled city, east of' Eleftheria
Square. Charming
winding
alleys with traditional houses and shops, restaurants, galleries, all lovingly
restored as typical examples of
Cypriot urban
architecture of a bygone, more graceful age.
Corner Stassinos Ave and Crete street
Repressentative
collection of paintings and
sculpture by Cypriot artists 1930-1980.
Though officially called a Cathedral, this is the parish church for Anglican
residents, and
was
built in I893 in a style reminiscent of many English village churches.
Museum street, opposite the Cyprus Museum.
This spacious
theatre
in neo-classical style was completed in 1967.
It has a seating capacity of 1200 and is used for
performances by the Cyprus
Theatrical Organisation, musical concerts and recitals,
dance performances and for
various ceremonies.
Prokopiou street, Engomi.
Monastery dependency of the famous Kykko Monastery,
dating from 1890.
Athalassa Avenue Tel:(02) 30-5024
(Turn right at the
beginning of Nicosia-Limassol highway, traffic
lights).
The aim of the government-run centre is to
promote and improve traditional folk art and craft skills by helping artisans
to improve their techniques and
maintain the quality of their products. The Centre includes a showroom-shop with a wide selection of
Cyprus
handicrafts, and also shops in Laiki Yitonia and in all other towns.
In Nicosia you will find the most sophisticated Conference
Centre on the island which
accomrnodates more than 1,OOO delegates.
19
km south of Nicosia.
The site
of this ancient city kingdom has not yet been fully excavated, but on the high ground,
outside the present
village of Dhali,
part of the ancient walls of the city can be seen. In this area Adonis, mythical lover
of
the goddess Aphrodite, was killed by a wild
boar sent by her jealous husband.
At the nearby village of
Perachorio the church of the Holy Apostles contains very beautiful 12th
century frescoes.
Near Deftera village, 11 km southwest of
Nicosia.
Dedicated to Our Lady of the Golden Cave, the catacomb structure, an enlarged natural cave indicates the
church,
dates back to the early Christian period. Unfortunately its painted interior is hadly damaged. A
religious fair is held near
the
church on 15th August.
Tamassos, with its rich copper works, was a
city
kingdom of ancient
Cyprus and of great importance throughout early history. Excavations have produced the Royal Tombs
and copper
workshops associated with Aphrodite-Astarte.
Politiko village, 1/2 km from the Royal Tombs.
When Saints Paul and Barnabas came to
Cyprus,
they
were guided to Tamassos by Herakleidios, whom they later ordained as Bishop of Tamassos. He was
martyred at the age of
60 and buried
in the cave where he had lived and preached. The Monastery was founded
in 400 AD, destroyed and rebuilt several
times until
Archbishop Chrysanthos renovated the church and cells in
1773. The skull and a bone from the hand of the saint
are kept in a silver
gilt case, in the church which is
decorated with fine frescoes and icons.
41 km south of Nicosia, through Deftera and Pera villages.
Founded by two monks in
1148, when
an icon of the Virgin Mary was found in a nearby cave. Set in a
picturesque dip in the Makhairas mountains, it is
the scene of a
large religious fair on 15th
August.
1 1/2 km east of Gourri village (Road Makhairas-Nicosia Via
Klirou).
The
whole village has been declared an ancient 'monument' in order to preserve the remarkable
woodwork and folk
architecture of the
18th century houses. The house of Katsinioros and Achilleas Demetri
some parts of which go back to the
16th century, have been
restored as vivid examples of rural architecture.
They received the EUROPA NOSTRA award in
1987.
1 1/2 km north west of Agrokipia village.
An 18th
century monastery with a gabled
roof, restored in the early 1960s and now serving as a retreat for three
nuns.
Off the Nicosia-Anthoupolis Road, 10
minutes
drive from Nicosia.
The church dates back to the Byzantine period, with rebuilding carried out in 1636
and in 1713 when it was purchased by Kykko
Monastery. Founded by Archbishop Nikiforos whose tomb can be seen
in the
narthex of the church. The iconostasis dates to 1650 and
there is a 1785 fresco of the Archangel
Michael to whom the
monastery is dedicated.
27 km
from Nicosia on the Nicosia-Troodos
road .
The church, dedicated to Saints
Barnabas and Hilarion, was
probably erected in the early 10th century, and is an
outstanding example of Byzantine architecture. Next
to
the church stands the Turkish mosque of Peristerona, witness to the
long and peaceful co-existence between
the Greek
Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots of the village, and the whole of Cyprus. in a
time when Turkey had
not yet adopted its partitionist and
expansionist policy.
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