Nicosia or Lefkosia located in the middle of the island, is the capital of Cyprus since the 12th century and the island’s principal business centre for well over 2,000 years. Lefkosia remains today the main business and cultural centre and a bustling cosmopolitan city. Remnants of its historical past are seen primarily in the old town located within the Venetian Walls, a fortification built in the mid 16th century to protect from the ever-expanding Ottomans.
The old town is dotted with museums, ancient churches and medieval buildings. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, Lefkosia is the only capital city divided by force.
A must visit is the Orthodox cathedral at the enclave of the new Archbishopric (seat of the autonomous Cyprus Orthodox Church), Ayios Ioannis church, a small church containing fascinating Biblical wall paintings from the 18th century, including the Last Judgment, the Byzantine Museum, which has the largest and most significant collection of icons in Cyprus from the 9th-18th century and Leventis Gallery with notable art collections.
Another point of interest is the Cyprus Museum, containing a fascinating collection of antiquities from the Neolithic to the Classical Greco-Roman periods, clearly indicating the island’s rich and diverse history, the Green Line, the capital’s dividing line, and the old part of the city by ‘Laiki Geitonia’; a pedestrian area and restored part of the town, that is a paradise for shoppers, with narrow city streets lined with traditional houses, taverns, shops and galleries.
NICOSIA HOTELS
HILTON CYPRUS
Within easy reach of Nicosia’s city center, the historic Old City and the business district, it is an ideal choice for business or pleasure.
HILTON PARK
A landmark four star hotel in one of the most prestigious residential areas of Nicosia.
CIMA 