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Nicosia: (Lefkosa) |
As the last divided city
in Europe; Nicosia enjoys a certain degree of international notoriety. However,
the Cypriot capital's to do list doesn't make for great reading and Nicosia is
understandably omitted form many visitor's itineraries (although it does have a
rich past).
Nicosia came to prominence in The Middle Ages with a succession of visits from a
number of historical heavyweights. Richard the Lionheart besieged Nicosia on his
way to Jerusalem and later sold the island to the Knights Templar. The locals
weren't happy and took control of the city, passing governance to Guy de
Lusignan in 1192. Unfortunately their new patron turned out to be a ruthless
despot and it wasn't long before the Nicosians realised the error of their ways.
The self-styled king stamped his authority on the city by fortifying it and
constructing a number of impressive gothic buildings, many of which can still be
seen today.
The sacking of Nicosia by the Ottomans in 1570 turned it into a ghost town and
it would be a further three hundred years before fortunes revived under the
British. The Cypriots took rude economic health as an excuse to exercise their
passion for chaotic urban development, and it wasn't long before the skyline was
transformed into a dispiriting jumble of high-rise blocks. The influx
Greek-Cypriots in 1974 did little to help the urban planning situation.
Factor-in dry landlocked winds and searing heat and you begin to understand why
Nicosia is so often overlooked. Yet it's worth giving the capital a chance. Once
you've overcome the initial aesthetic disappointments, you'll find that Nicosia
has plenty to offer, including a good crop of bars and restaurants and a handful
of beautiful churches and museums.
In a world where Cold War partition is a distant memory the Green Line has
itself become something of a tourist attraction. The humourless guards manning
the Ledra Palace checkpoint allow tourists to visit the north on day-trips, but
if you stay the night - you won't be allowed back in. The experience gives
visitors a tangible sense of what it is like to live in a divided land and some
insight into the tensions existing between the neighbouring peoples.
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