Nicosia, Cyprus — Attractions
Cyprus Archaeological Museum
This museum was established to collect, study and display archaeological artifacts from all over the island. Some of the exhibits are as old as 8,500 years. The museum is arranged in chronological order. The first hall contains pottery and implements from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods while the other rooms trace the history of Cyprus through the ages from the Bronze Age, Hellenic Period, Mycenaean times, and Roman Period to the early Byzantine. A unique feature of the museum lies in the basement, where several graves rest in a dark cellar complete with skeletal remains and grave adornments that have been reconstructed.
- Region/City Name
- Nicosia
- Address
- 1 Mouseiou Street, Old City
- Phone Number
- 22 302 189
- Hours
- Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm; Sunday 10am to 1pm
- Admission
- EUR3.40
Byzantine Museum
The largest collection of icons on the island of Cyprus is displayed in the Byzantine Museum in the Old City of Nicosia. The icons date from the ninth through to the 18th centuries. The museum also contains an art gallery exhibiting oil paintings, maps and lithographs.
- Region/City Name
- Nicosia
- Address
- Plateia Archiepiskopou Kyprianou, Archbishopric
- Phone Number
- 22 430 008
- Hours
- Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm; Saturday 9am to 1pm; closed Sundays
- Admission
- £1 (adults); student discount available
Ethnographic Museum (former Folk Art Museum)
The colorful collections in this museum represent Cypriot folk art of the 19th and early 20th centuries, and include wood carvings, jewelry, woven goods, tapestries, embroidery, pottery and national costumes. The museum is housed in the Old Bishopric in a 15th-century Gothic building that used to serve as a Benedictine Monastery and then became the palace of the Archbishop.
- Region/City Name
- Nicosia
- Address
- Plateia Archiepiskopou Kyprianou, Archbishopric
- Phone Number
- 22 432 578
- Hours
- Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm; Saturday 10am to 1pm
- Admission
- £1
St John's Cathedral (Agios Ioannis)
The Orthodox Cathedral in the Old City was built in 1662 by Archbishop Nikiforos, dedicated to Saint John the Theologian. The 18th-century wall paintings show Biblical scenes and illustrate the discovery of the tomb of Saint Barnabas at Salamis. The Cathedral's prize features, however, are the iconostasis of carved wood covered with gold leaf, and the magnificent double-headed eagles.
- Region/City Name
- Nicosia
- Address
- Archbishop Kyprianos Square, Archbishopric
- Hours
- Monday to Friday 8am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm; Saturday 8am to 12pm, and during mass
- Admission
- Free
Old City Walls
The walls that completely encompass the Old City date from the Venetian occupation in the 16th century, and have a circumference of three miles (5km). Eleven heart-shaped bastions are interspersed along the walls, which have only three gates, in the north, south and east. One of the gates, the Famagusta Gate, has been restored and serves as the Lefkosia Municipal Cultural Center, used for exhibitions, conferences, lectures and occasional performances. The gate's vaulted passage leads on to the moat encircling the Old City, which has been planted to create a garden.
- Region/City Name
- Nicosia
Tamassos
Tamassos, 12 miles (19km) south-west of Nicosia, was an ancient city kingdom renowned for its rich copper works. Recent archaeological excavations at the site have produced some exciting finds in the Royal Tombs. These were six limestone sculptures, two representing life-sized sphinxes and four lions, in a crouching position. The sculptures are believed to date to the 6th century BC when Cyprus was under Egyptian control. Visitors to the site can also see the Agios Irakleidios Monastery near Politiko village.
- Region/City Name
- Nicosia
- Address
- Politiko village
- Phone Number
- 22 622 619
- Hours
- Tuesday to Friday 9am to 3pm; Saturday and Sunday 10am to 3pm
- Admission
- £0.75
Northern Cyprus
The tourist infrastructure of Northern Cyprus, the area beyond the 'green line', which is currently occupied by Turkey, is less developed than the south and the unspoiled countryside and numerous historic sites make a visit worthwhile for those adventurous enough to explore. Historic Gazimagosa (formerly known as Famagusta) on the east coast, for example, dates from 285 BC and has held an important place in Mediterranean history through the ages. The Medieval walls still stand and the remains of some ancient buildings are visible in the old city. Girne (Kyrenia) on the north coast has an interesting castle and picturesque harbor as well as a Shipwreck Museum, which houses the oldest trading ship yet found and raised from the sea bed, having sunk around 300 BC. Both Kyrenia and Gazimagosa have some modern tourist resort hotels, offering luxury accommodation and safe bathing in the Mediterranean Sea.
- Region/City Name
- Nicosia
