Old city
Old Town – Pallen Poly – In Nicosia, it is called the central part of it, surrounded by Venetian Walls. Here is a huge number of architectural monuments, museums, vintage churches, graphic narrow streets and alleys. Palf Poly connects the atmosphere of long-gone and lively bustle of the center of the modern European capital.
In ancient times the capital of Cyprus – Lidra located within the city walls (although in ancient times it was the structure of a configuration, the walls in their present form were built in 1645 by the Venetians as a defense against the warlike neighbors), and many buildings still retain their old names.
The walls of Nicosia, when viewed from above, is a geometric shape similar to the stylized sun or a 11-pointed star – the number of bastions, and have a length of 4.5 kilometers.
The border with the occupied territories, that is,.N. "Green Line" It runs right through the city center, dividing Nicosia into two parts, so half of the fortress walls is in the occupied part of the city.
"Our" Nicosia – is a historic center of the city, and more recently, some 10-15 years ago, the entire business life Nicosia flowed here.
In addition to a large number of monuments of history and culture, there are the City Hall, Freedom Square, two hotels – "Holiday Inn" and "Castelli", as well as a great variety of shops and boutiques, cafes and restaurants with a variety of cuisines – from Cyprus to Polynesian, colorful traditional taverns with live music, a café with an amazing coffee and an incredible assortment of ice cream and much more!
Man first went to Nicosia, you should start your acquaintance with this amazing city with Laiki Guyton.
The charming old streets with buildings of traditional style, shops, restaurants and galleries carefully restored as typical examples of Cypriot urban architecture. They bear the stamp of antiquity, and prove that age, too, can be beautiful and fascinating!
Only in Laiki Guyton preserved shops of artisans – plumbers, chasers, jewelers, locksmith, tailors, furniture restorers, there is even a shop undertaker.
Lidras – main street "Old Town", something like Moscow’s Arbat. This is one of the favorite places for both locals and visitors to Nicosia.
What is not here: offices of companies, banks, shops – clothing, shoes, optics, souvenir shops Indian Shop and African Art, Italian restaurant and eleven-storey Ermes shopping center, former Woolworth. It is said that this is the highest building in Cyprus, on its last floor there is a museum and an observatory with a 360-degree panorama of Nicosia.
Most buildings B "Old town" surprised by their nestness and neglence. There are quite dilapidated, covered with cracks of the structure on which the sign hangs "dangerous".
There are just old, darkened buildings with losing plaster, drunk wooden windows and doors, dark bad smelling entrances. Explanation of this very simple – the municipality does not want to invest in the building so close to "Green line". So far, the problem of a separated state, with the repair and restoration of the old city, the government and the mayor of Nicosia decided to wait.
In the art of the Old Town is located "Likes Agora" – Municipal market, so well familiar to us on Russian realities. Market, located under the roof, works daily. The big market, located around the indoor market and occupies even adjacent to the market square of the alley, begins to make noise on Saturdays, from early morning and up to 2-3 hours in afternoon. One more "Big Bazaar" Located on Wednesdays in Square "Oh and", this is also the old town.
Here you can buy the extinguished fruits, vegetables – from banal potatoes to exotic avocados, fragrant greens, nuts, dried fruits, fruit trees seedlings, seedlings, and cheap clothes, shoes, underwear, toys, decorations, souvenirs, towels, rugs, and other , and other.
However, the mayor of Nicosia is a recent decree banned trade in mobile merchants who sold clothes, shoes, souvenirs, and t.D. According to the mayor, the counters, pile of goods (most of the Chinese, Vietnamese, Syrian production, brightly colored disposable garbage), do not contribute to the improvement of the image of Nicosia as a modern European city. The decision of the mayor caused a storm of protest from merchants, claiming that they were trading in the time of time and what they were left without work and without livelihood.
Perhaps the main customers of merchants – immigrants from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Arab countries, among which cheap goods sold in the markets are very popular.
In general, the old town, by virtue of the above-mentioned reasons, is the abode of the poorest people of Nicosia, in the overwhelming majority – this is working in Cyprus foreigners from countries.N. "Third World".
Those who come to Cyprus not from a good life prefer the old town because in older, long-not repaired homes rental housing relatively low. This housing can satisfy only the most inconspicuous taste. Portrait of a typical inhabitant of an old city – a young man, not Europe, most likely, a resident of one of the countries of Southeast Asia, most often illegal or refugee who expects providing "Political refuge". It works 14-16 hours a day on the hardest, dirty and low-paid work – construction, farm, earning a maximum of 300-350 pounds per month. For housing, he pays from 50 to 100 pounds per month to expound with several such disadvantages, his vehicle movement -ELBICK, his entertainment in his free time (when it happens) – shop in the park and communication with compatriots. He is forced to deny himself to be able to send a hundred – another dollars home, family.
On Sunday – day, when all foreign workers have their legitimate weekend, on the central streets of Nicosia, you can watch a fun picture: couples, groups, bugs, and even the crowds of native dark men, ladies with their unchanged umbrellas, unfolded gentlemen on bicycles.
All of them are going here, rejoicing the opportunity to communicate with their compatriots, solve pressing problems – rental housing, visa issues, political asylum, buying and selling different differences, friendship, romantic dating, mediation. In general, here, as on the Odessa Maidan, you can solve any question!
"Tusovka" Each country has its permanent deployment – the Philippines at the CYTA building, Sri Lanka – on Lidras, India and Pakistan – in Central Park, Bangladesh – near "Holliday Inn", In short, the meeting place cannot be changed!
On a small participation of land in a size of several square kilometers, there are so many attractions that it will be needed not one week in order to bypass them all!
Here is a list of interesting things: Museum of Cyprus, Byzantine Museum and Art Gallery, Cultural Center. Archbishop Makarios III, Castelotism (opposite Paphos Gate). I can not say a few words about this building. It is sustained in the spirit of gothic architecture, with the heavy elements inherent in it. This is one of the parts of the Lusignan Palace, dates from 13-14 centuries. Was posed by the Department of Antiquities and used as a cultural center. For the public is open only during various events.
Continue? Museum of the National Fight, Cathedral of St. John, Ethnographic Museum of Cyprus, Archbishopstream (Old and New), Hadzhigorgakis Coresia House – The most famous building of Nicosia Buildings of the 18th century, which was restored in 1988 and received a reward "Our Europe". Residence of the famous Dragoman Hadzhigorgakis Coresia is also one of the buildings of the Ethnographic Museum.
Here you can also visit the Cyprus Museum of Post, Cyprus Jewelry Museum, Gate Famagusta, Nicosia Municipal Center, State Gallery of Contemporary Art.
Of great interest is Church of Chrysolinotiss not far from the Archbishop. She is the oldest Byzantine Church of Nicosia, dedicated "Mrs. Golden flax". Probably, the church was built in 1450 by the Queen of Elena Paleologist. In addition, the mosque is Omeriya (the former church) and the Church of Faleman.
So, we listed only the most main attractions of the old Nicosia.
If you want to travel in time, touch the old days, walk the streets, which, how to know, perhaps, guarded Homer himself, enjoy the beauty and harmony of medieval architecture – just come to the old town, and he, like a wise ancient book, page for page will open your secrets!
