Selimiye Mosque
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…
Getty Images/iStockphoto
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.
The scent of yesteryear is further evoked towards the centre, which is watched over by the Gothic pile of the Selimiye Mosque and the Ottoman bulk of the Büyük Han. The main thoroughfare to the sights, Arasta Sokak, is a brushed-up modern-day bazaar catering to day-trippers, with its glut of stalls selling tacky trinkets. Skate your way through the crowds, though, and you'll find pockets of contemporary cafe-cool breaking out, slowly awakening the Old City from its slumber.
Sit down with a latte as the call to prayer echoes and soak up the merging of old and new that permeates this side of the walled city.
Explore North Nicosia (Lefkoşa)
- Selimiye Mosque
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
The Büyük Han is Cyprus' best-preserved example of Ottoman caravanserai architecture. Built in 1572 by the first Ottoman governor of Cyprus, Lala Mustafa…
- AArmenian Church & Nunnery
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…
- AArabahmet Quarter
This neighbourhood rubbing up against the Green Line is home to well-preserved examples of Ottoman-era town-house architecture. The narrow alleyways are…
- HHaydarpaşa Mosque
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…
- MMevlevi Tekke Museum
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…
- EEthnographic Museum of Cyprus
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,…
- SSamanbahçe Quarter
This neighbourhood of whitewashed terraced cottages, tucked off Girne Caddesi, was Cyprus' first social housing project. Built in the early 20th century,…
- BBedestan
Renovated as part of the Nicosia Master Plan, the imposing Bedestan dates from the 6th century, when it was built as a small Byzantine chapel. It was…
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout North Nicosia (Lefkoşa).
See
Selimiye Mosque
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…
See
Büyük Han
The Büyük Han is Cyprus' best-preserved example of Ottoman caravanserai architecture. Built in 1572 by the first Ottoman governor of Cyprus, Lala Mustafa…
See
Armenian Church & Nunnery
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…
See
Arabahmet Quarter
This neighbourhood rubbing up against the Green Line is home to well-preserved examples of Ottoman-era town-house architecture. The narrow alleyways are…
See
Haydarpaşa Mosque
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…
See
Mevlevi Tekke Museum
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…
See
Ethnographic Museum of Cyprus
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,…
See
Samanbahçe Quarter
This neighbourhood of whitewashed terraced cottages, tucked off Girne Caddesi, was Cyprus' first social housing project. Built in the early 20th century,…
See
Bedestan
Renovated as part of the Nicosia Master Plan, the imposing Bedestan dates from the 6th century, when it was built as a small Byzantine chapel. It was…
Guidebooks
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