Things to do in Lefkoşa (North Nicosia)
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Museum of Barbarism
While the Turkish Cypriots may have taken down the gruesome posters and photographs that used to greet arrivals at the Ledra Palace Hotel crossing, they have not forgotten the atrocities committed by Greek Cypriots and in particular EOKA thugs against the Turkish Cypriot community. The Museum of Barbarism is in a quiet suburb to the west of the Old City and takes a bit of seeking out.
On 24 December 1963, a mother and her children, along with a neighbour, were shot dead in their bath by EOKA gunmen. The bloodstained bath is retained as one of the exhibits in this rather macabre museum. There are other photo-documentary displays, particularly of Turkish Cypriots murdered i…
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Sabor
Right next to Selimiye Mosque, this is decidedly North Nicosia's trendiest restaurant. Stylish wooden tables inside are surrounded by leather sofas in the lounge area; colourful lamps swing low; fashion photos adorn the walls. The large terrace is on the square, and on Wednesdays and Fridays there is live jazz piano music.
Its excellent Italian and Spanish food is especially good for those days when you can't take another kebab, although there are oriental-style noodles too, and the prices are surprisingly low. The espresso and cappuccino are just right.
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Selimiye Mosque
North Nicosia's most prominent landmark - also clearly visible from the southern half of the city - is the Selimiye Mosque. This strange-looking building, a cross between a French Gothic church and a mosque, has an interesting history. Work started on the church in 1209 and progressed slowly. Louis IX of France, on his way to the Crusades, stopped by in 1248 and gave the building process a much needed shot in the arm by offering the services of his retinue of artisans and builders.
However, the church took another 78 years to complete and was finally consecrated in 1326 as the Church of Agia Sofia. Up until 1570 the church suffered depredation at the hands of the Genoese …
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Bedesten
Another building being renovated as part of the 'Nicosia Master Plan', the ruined and usually locked Bedesten was originally a small Byzantine church built in the 6th century and augmented in the 14th century by the Catholic church. During the 82 years of Venetian rule it became the Church of the Orthodox Metropolitan. After the Ottomans took Lefkosia in 1570, the church was used as a grain store and as a general market, but was basically left to disintegrate.
Today you can peer through the fencing and still make out the layout of the original churches. Medieval tombstones from various parts of Cyprus are currently kept in a section of the Bedesten. The north doorway has …
reviewed
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Turkish Museum
The Turkish Museum is a former 17th-century tekke (monastery) of the mystic Islamic sect known as the Mevlevi Order, or more familiarly, the Whirling Dervishes. Their spiritual philosophy, started in the Turkish town Konya, is based on the mystical branch of Islam called Sufism. Among the displays of the Dervishes are interesting photographs of their dances in Nicosia in 1954.
The most fascinating part of the museum is the former kitchen of the tekke, the centre of the hierarchical order in which the Dervishes lived and moved from 'interns' to achieving Dervish status. Each new intern would have to prove himself worthy by taking on the role of a kitchen servant for severa…
reviewed
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Büyük Han
The Büyük Han is a wonderful example of Ottoman architecture and a rare surviving example of a medieval caravanserai. In the Ottoman world during the Middle Ages, travellers and traders could find accommodation at these hans (inns), as well as a place to stable their horses, trade their goods and socialise with fellow travellers. The Büyük Han was built in 1572 by the first Ottoman governor of Cyprus, Musafer Pasha.
Renovated in the recent years, it has once again become the centre of the Old City's bustle, with cafés, shops and traditional craft workshops housed in the 67 small cells that originally served as the inn's sleeping area. The central courtyard has in its …
reviewed
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Büyük Hammam
In the process of being refurbished during research, is a world-famous Turkish bath normally frequented by locals and tourists, both male and female. Stories of improper conduct on the part of the male-only masseurs made the news when two American tourists were allegedly molested in 2005, and soon after the hammam was closed for renovation.
The refurbishment makes many hope that this bath will follow in the steps of the Omeriye Hammam in Lefkosia, which would make it a safer and more appealing option.
The entrance is via an ornate low door, sunk six feet below street level. The door was originally part of the 14th-century Church of St George of the Latins. Inside you are …
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Dervish Pasha Museum
The small Dervish Pasha Museum is housed in a 19th-century mansion. Built in 1807, it belonged to a wealthy Turkish Cypriot, Derviş Paşa, who published Cyprus' first Turkish-language newspaper. The house was turned into an ethnographic museum in 1988. Household goods, including an old loom, glassware and ceramics, are displayed in former servants' quarters on the ground floor.
Upstairs is a rich display of embroidered Turkish costumes and, in the far corner, a sumptuous selamlık (a retiring room for the owner of the mansion and his guests), replete with sofas and nargileh (Middle Eastern water pipes), and even some guests, in the form of eerie mannequins dressed up in …
reviewed
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Moniat Macun
Moniat Macun Macun is the art of fruit-preserving, and the lady who owns this shop has perfected that art. She preserves almost anything she comes across (so watch out), from exquisite green walnuts pickled while still raw, with a pungent, almost bitter taste; to the soft texture of melon and watermelon that melts in the mouth. You can try the preserves before you commit, but a lovely jar will be a tasty reminder of summer fruits during the cold days of winter.
Moniat is on the ground floor, opposite the Sedirhan café.
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Library of Sultan Mahmut II
The Library of Sultan Mahmut II is housed in an octagonal building erected in 1829. It contains some 1700 books, and the interior is decorated with a calligraphic frieze in blue and gold. Some of the books are up to 700 years old and the more valuable tomes are displayed in special cases. The books were on loan to the National Archive Library of Cyprus during the time of research.
The same ticket also gives you access to the Bedesten and the Lapidary Museum.
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Kumarcılar Han
Just to the north of the Büyük Han, on Agah Efendi Sokak, is the Kumarcılar Han, a late-17th-century caravanserai, which worked in a similar way to the Büyük Han. It was closed for reconstruction at the time of research. Rumour has it that once it's been renovated, the building might once again become a place for gamblers. This would be no surprise considering the casino epidemic currently sweeping the North.
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Boghjalian
Housed in the former mansion of a wealthy Armenian, the Boghjalian is a quality restaurant and very popular in town. The set menu consists of either meze or mixed kebab. Food is served in a leafy courtyard. This place is almost always full for dinner and particularly for lunch, when visitors cross over from the South, especially as it's close to the Ledra Palace Hotel crossing point.
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Belediye Pazarı Nargileh Bars
A popular drinking area in the Old City is behind the Belediye Pazarı inside the restored old market building. Resembling a kind of warehouse, with tall ceilings and low-hanging lamps, the space has a pretty, modern look. There are several bars inside, and the rather young clientele is keen on the nargileh-sucking. It's lively and fun for a drink in the Old City.
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Sedirhan Café
This is the best place to eat Turkish ravioli, while you admire the beauty of the Büyük Han - the Sedirhan is in its courtyard. You can also have a coffee or a beer, and eat some börek (meat or cheese rolled in thin pastry). On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the inn is a concert venue for (usually free) live music and the café stays open late.
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Cinema Nostalgi Bar
On the northern side of town, this is perhaps the most popular of bars on North Nicosia's rock scene. Live music is on most evenings, but there is no cinema here - it's all in the name. The son of the North's Prime Minister, Mehmet Ali Talat, has been playing gigs here (he's a singer in a local rock band), so a bit of local celebrity spotting can be done too.
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Koza
Cyprus' heritage of producing silk from silk worms and the once ubiquitous mulberry trees comes alive in this shop, where the owner, Munise, together with her elderly mother, hand-weaves the silk patterns. The patterns were traditionally used for picture frames, or simply as framed wall decorations themselves. Koza is on the 1st floor, above Moniat Macun.
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Cyprus Turkish Shadow Theatre
Considering the illustrious place of shadow theatre in the history of Cyprus, it's a surprise that the Cyprus Turkish Shadow Theatre is the only place of its kind on the entire island. Shadow-puppet plays take place in the Büyük Han, but you will have to go there or call and inquire about details with Mehmet Ertuğ, the puppeteer.
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Haydarpasha Mosque
The Haydarpasha Mosque was originally built as the 14th-century Church of St Catherine, but now functions as an art gallery. It is the second most important Gothic structure in North Nicosia after the Selimiye Mosque. The sculptures, both inside and out, are quite ornate, sprouting gargoyles, dragons, shields and human heads.
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Belediye Pazarı
A fantastic place to check out local produce and local characters, the Belediye Pazarı bustles with action: bargaining is rife, sellers either shout their offers out to shoppers, or sleep on the counters amid piles of vegetables and fruit. There is also an area with souvenirs where you can find something to take home.
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Lapidary Museum
A visit to the Lapidary Museum is usually included in a visit to the Library of Sultan Mahmut II. This is a 15th-century building containing a varied collection of sarcophagi, shields, steles, columns, and a Gothic window rescued from a Lusignan palace that once stood near Atatürk Meydanı.
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Konak
This traditional restaurant sits next to Sabor and is decorated in the Ottoman style. It has a large garden, full of plants and flowers, and upstairs there is a wooden veranda and small coves for romantic dining. The food is eclectic: there is pasta, pizza, salads and kebabs, just take your pick.
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Rüstem Kitabevi
Once almost legendary for its organised chaos, this place has taken control of its stock and all is now neatly arranged on shelves. It is still, however, a well-supplied store, with old and new books, and many English-language reads, plus a rack of all kinds of magazines.
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Saray Roof
On the top of the Saray hotel, and commanding the best views of the city, this place is great for an evening cocktail. Unfortunately, the Turkish and 'European' food is unremarkable. The view is what you pay for, and you get to watch the city lights twinkle in the night.
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Belediye Pazarı
In Araşta Sokak, opposite the Bedesten, is a shop that makes delicious halvah on the premises. Nearby is the Belediye Pazarı, a large, covered market selling fresh produce.
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