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North Nicosia (Lefkoşa)

Strolling the back streets of the Old City in North Nicosia (Lefkoşa in Turkish) feels like dropping into an earlier era. Its wiggling alleys are home to half-derelict town houses, washing lines strung between window shutters with peeling paint, and the occasional strutting rooster.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Selimiye Mosque
North Nicosia (Lefkoşa)
North Nicosia’s most prominent landmark (also clearly visible from the southern half of the city), the Selimiye Mosque is a beautiful mongrel of a…
Büyük Han
North Nicosia (Lefkoşa)
The Büyük Han is Cyprus' best-preserved example of Ottoman caravanserai architecture. Built in 1572 by the first Ottoman governor of Cyprus, Lala Mustafa…
Armenian Church & Nunnery
North Nicosia (Lefkoşa)
This church and nunnery is first thought to have been established in the 13th century as the Abbey of Our Lady of Tyre, and was handed over to the island…
Arabahmet Quarter
North Nicosia (Lefkoşa)
This neighbourhood rubbing up against the Green Line is home to well-preserved examples of Ottoman-era town-house architecture. The narrow alleyways are…
Haydarpaşa Mosque
North Nicosia (Lefkoşa)
The second-most important Gothic structure in North Nicosia after the Selimiye Mosque, this building began life as the 14th-century Church of St Catherine…
Mevlevi Tekke Museum
North Nicosia (Lefkoşa)
This 17th-century former tekke (dervish house) was once Cyprus' central meeting place for the island's followers of the Mevlevi Order. Made famous by the…
Ethnographic Museum of Cyprus
North Nicosia (Lefkoşa)
This eclectic museum in the New City is the work of Ergün Pektaş, who scoured Northern Cyprus to salvage and preserve local craftwork, day-to-day objects,…
Samanbahçe Quarter
North Nicosia (Lefkoşa)
This neighbourhood of whitewashed terraced cottages, tucked off Girne Caddesi, was Cyprus' first social housing project. Built in the early 20th century,…