NORTH (LEFKOŞ A) evening houses’grills. calltoprayerandtheairisscented fromthekebab withsmoke surethe OldCity.Make youstayuntildusk,whentheminarets lightupandrelease their this iswhere Nicosiaisallin modernlife maybeunfolding, thecharmandappealofNorth frequent theOldCitymuch–theyprefer themore modernareas inthesuburbs. Butwhile MostTurkishpartition. Cypriotshave ascornfulattitudetowardsthemainlandTurks anddon’t neighbourhoodisareal experience.local shoppers,andastrollaroundtheArabahmet check outtheBelediyePazar dailylife andwanderingaroundtheOldCitystreets.lie mainlyinobserving sure Make you Nicosia’scharms Butthat’snotabadthing–North Republic orstayelsewhere intheNorth. itunappealingtobeddownhere,make so manytravellers eithercrossforthedayfrom senseofitspast,present andfuture.can stitchthecitytogetheragain,making more anduniquetosee thetwohalves unhurriedtime. ofthecapital;visitors It’swonderful affair. Itsdizzyinglabyrinthofnarrowstreets lackofflashinessharkbacktoa andadistinct 21st-century Nicosiaisamore Greek modest,quietandancient sideofthecapital,North or Lefko Nicosia(populationaround39,000), halfofCyprus’capital,knownasNorth The northern (Lefko Nicosia North 178 © LonelyPlanetPublications The OldCityismostly populated bymainlandTurks whohave settledhere sincethe1974 North Nicosiaisvery muchadaytimecity–thelackofdecentaccommodationandnightlifeNorth

„ „ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS

Walkbetweenwatermelon mountains inside Enter thesparsenessandsilenceof Taste pideor afantastickebab, Strollthroughthestreets ofthe Spendsometimeinsidethebeautiful structure, full of wonderful craftshops structure, fullofwonderful BelediyePazar one ofthe Han arches ofwhatwas once aGothiccathedral Mosque neighbourhood Arabahmet colourful ( p183 ), anancientmaze, especiallythe ş (Great Inn; a inTurkish, couldn’tbemore different fromitssouthernsister. Incontrasttothe ( p182 ) andgaze atthegorgeous Old Cityeateries ş

ı p181 ), agrandOttoman (MunicipalMarket; a) a) ı market andBüyükHan(Great market Inn),bothbusywithtouristsand Λευκωσ (p185) lahmacun OldCity

Selimiye p181 ) Büyük at í Arabahmet Büyük Han (Great Inn) α Market) (Municipal Pazarî Belediye Mosque Selimiye (LEFKOŞ A) 228 City City 179 % ( ) ı ik Caddesi) ş A) •• HistoryA) Ş 155. 227 8232; Abdi Ipekçi % % 228 3506; Girne Caddesi 22) Once 228 3506; Girne Caddesi 22) Once ( lu Devlet Hastahanesi (Girne Caddesi 180; per hr 2YTL; 228 3311; Atatürk Meydan ğ % in both English and Turkish. in both English ( a % ş 227 3996; Gazeteci Kemal A ( % ( 24hr) This is a busy central internet outlet. 24hr) This is a busy central internet You can change your money into new Turkish your money into new Turkish can change You These should be available at the Ledra Palace These at the Ledrabe available should Palace Otherwise NCTO office. you will have Hotel the NCTO offices in North to ask at one of Caddesi 30) Located in the New City, the London will do a your clothes. service wash as well as dry-clean Money lira (YTL) fa- the money-changing at any of cilities just past the passport-control booth at can be found at the ATMs Hotel. Ledra Palace almost legendary for its organised chaos, this place has almost legendary for its organised taken control of its stock and all is now neatly arranged on It is still, however, with old shelves. well-supplied store, a plus a and new books, and many English-language reads, of magazines. rack of all kinds Internet Access in the in cafes is almost nonexistent Wi-fi North, so you’ll be bound to use the inter- than not, often more are, which net cafes, men only. swarmed by Orbit Internet Cafe Laundry London Dry Cleaners Medical Services Burhan Nalbatano Poliklinik by the Tourism Organisation (CTO) Organisation by the Cyprus Tourism details for street in the South do not show North Nicosia. INFORMATION Bookshops Rüstem Kitabevi Emergency call For emergencies, Police station Both are UN-controlled checkpoints between checkpoints UN-controlled Both are the Republic. and Cyprus Northern Maps Cyprus Tourism Organisation The North useful a reasonably (NCTO) produces Lefko Plan of maps of Commercially produced Nicosia. local bookshop at in your Cyprus available city maps that include home sometimes have Lefkosia published of Maps North Nicosia. h 5441) North Nicosia’s main hospital. 5441) North Nicosia’s main Where foreigners can seek medical treatment. can seek medical foreigners Where usa). ğ ik Caddesi leading ş , the main square, iden- , the main square, ı NORTH NICOSIA (LEFKO

in Turkish). Running south from the in Turkish).

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Visitors to North Nicosia can now cross on Visitors The New City spreads some distance north The New City spreads The capital was effectively divided into The capital divided into was effectively HISTORY HISTORY The Old City is easy to navigate. If you get If you get The Old City is easy to navigate. Gate is Girne Caddesi, leads Gate which Kyrenia it is a 10-minute walk to the . Gate. walk to the Kyrenia it is a 10-minute ing at the – from here – from here Hotel Ledra Palace ing at the foot into Lefkosia via the Ledra St crossing, foot into Lefkosia via the bang in the middle and will find themselves is also the older cross- the Old City. There of and Gazeteci Kemal A Kemal and Gazeteci (Ma northeast to from Kyrenia Gate, with Bedrettin Demirel with Bedrettin Demirel Gate, from Kyrenia (Girne), Caddesi northwest to Kyrenia leading Karamanzade and Arabahmet districts. and Karamanzade a small pedestrianised area with shops and a small pedestrianised area the the Old City are In the west of restaurants. and hotels. To the east of the square are the are the square To the east of and hotels. Korkut Effendi and Selimiye districts where found. To North Nicosia’s sights are most of Line, is south, near the Green the immediate onto Atatürk Meydan Atatürk. Kemal of portrait tifiable by a large you will find banks, shops Around here ORIENTATION ORIENTATION the border, but despite this, the city is still this, the border, but despite far off. looks divided and its reunification A wary truce was brokered by the blue-bereted by the blue-bereted A wary truce was brokered forces, who the UN peacekeeping of members Line since sec-had been guarding the Green out in 1963. It is now tarian troubles broke (and Cypriots) to cross over easy for visitors Cypriots saw as a rescue operation, formalised Cypriots saw as a rescue the city. of the division between the two halves tary invasion of 1974, which most Turkish 1974, which tary invasion of a British militarya British divided up the commander pen. The name city on a map with a green The Turkish mili- ever since. has remained into safe enclaves or ghettos. The Green Line, or ghettos. The Green enclaves into safe was establishedas it has become known, when Struggle) insurgents forced them to retreat forced them to retreat Struggle) insurgents violence against by Ethniki Cypriots by Ethniki Turkish violence against (EOKA; tou Kypriakou Agona Organosi for the Cypriot National Organisation ingly, shared much of the same the history as its of much ingly, shared details For of sector. southern dismembered . p65 see this period, Up until 1963, North Nicosia, not surpris- Nicosia, 1963, North until Up lonelyplanet.com lost, head for the Venetian walls, which you walls, which lost, head for the Venetian the main can easily follow in order to reach (Girne Gate the Kyrenia reference, point of Kap Greek and Turkish sectors in 1963, when sectors in 1963, when Turkish and Greek