Fortress sights in Lefkosia (South Nicosia)
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Venetian Walls
The Venetian Walls are like Lefkosia's logo. They form a border around the Old City that is so unique that when you see it once, on a map or from a high viewpoint, you'll never forget it. And that's partly to do with its odd shape: is it like a snowflake? A star? A hand grenade? Or a horizontally sliced artichoke?
Despite its impressive appearance, this circular defence wall that surrounds both the northern and southern halves of Old Lefkosia unfortunately failed in the purpose for which it was built. The Venetian rulers erected the walls between 1567 and 1570 with the express aim of keeping the feared Ottoman invaders out of Lefkosia. The appointed engineer Ascanio Savor…
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Roccas (Kaytazağa) Bastion
This bastion was unique throughout Cyprus in that it was the only place where Greek and Turkish Cypriots could eyeball each other at close quarters, pre-2003. Nowadays it's hardly an attraction, since it is so easy to actually cross over to the opposite side and eyeball each other face to face. It is interesting, however, as a reminder of the noncontact between the two communities that lasted for around thirty years.
It is situated about 200m south of the Ledra Palace Hotel crossing and is easily identifiable by the no-parking signs along the bastion walls. The UN buffer zone separating the two sides by a normally comfortable margin virtually disappears here for a stretch…
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