Nicosia (North)

North Nicosia (Turkish: Lefkoşa) is the Turkish Cypriot side of the divided city of Nicosia, and the capital of Northern Cyprus. In 2011 the population was 61,378.

Understand
This ancient city was Leucotheon (Λευκοθέον) or similar names meaning "white deity" until the 13th century, when the "L" morphed into "N". It was the capital of the island from the 10th century, ringed by walls and a moat in the 16th to try to repel the Ottomans, and became capital of the Republic of Cyprus on independence in 1960. But inter-community tensions and violence persisted, leading to the Turkish invasion of 1974, and the eventual ceasefire line split Nicosia through the middle. And so it remains, a strange example of a divided city, in an era when Berlin, Jerusalem and Sarajevo have re-combined, and the Greek-Turkish partition of Cyprus is a "frozen conflict" blighting the entire island. The border however is straightforward to cross for individuals - vehicles, goods and pets are another matter - so many tourists in the south get their first taste of life in Northern Cyprus by strolling across at Ledra Street.

Most sights and amenities are within the sturdy walls of the Old City. Restaurants and shops also extend northwest along Dereboyu Street, also known as Mehmet Akif Cd.

By plane
Travellers to the south fly into Larnaca or Paphos. The former Nicosia Airport 8 km west of the city saw heavy fighting in 1974 and now lies marooned in the UN buffer zone. It's mostly derelict but is a base for the UN Peacekeeping Force, and you can take an online tour.

On foot
Ledra Street (Λήδρας) pedestrian border crossing is the easy way for visitors from the south to stroll into Northern Cyprus. It's open 24 hours and is friendly and efficient. Your only difficulty may be in finding it in the narrow bazaar alleys: here are are the cheap jeans, here are the cheap vapes, oh here it is. Don't confuse it with Ledra Palace aka Paphos Gate crossing west edge of Old Town, also for pedestrians only plus a few authorised vehicles.

By road
Highways and buses from all corners of TRNC converge on Nicosia. Buses from Kyrenia run every 15 min and take 30 min.

is the inter-city bus terminal, at the corner of Gazeteci Kemal Aşık Cd and Atatürk Cd two km north of Old Town. It's grubby but functional; on Sundays there's a farmers market here, be grateful they don't herd goats.

Dolmuşes bring you closer in, to Kyrenia Gate, so you might prefer to take one of these to the city if you don't mind sitting on the handbrake next to a vast woman with market wares.

The vehicle crossing from Nicosia South is Paphos Gate, aka Ledra Palace, next to the city walls to the west. It's open 24 hours.

Get around
The Old City of northern Nicosia is easy to explore on foot.

Kuzey Kibris Taxi are on +90 539 103 3131.

See

 * Bedesten on the south flank of the mosque was the basilica of St Nicholas, dating back to the 6th century but rebuilt in the 12th / 13th. The Ottomans converted it into a covered market and it's now a cultural centre.
 * Eaved House (Saçaklı Ev) is on Kütüphane Sk just east of Selimiye Mosque. It's a fine old mansion, nominally a museum, but you're unlikely to find it open.
 * Kumarcılar Han is a smaller caravanserai just north of Büyük Han. It was built late 17th century and was a ruin by the 21st, but is now restored as a craft market.
 * Haydarpaşa Mosque is on Kirlizade Sk, 50 m south of the Lusignan House. It was built in Gothic style in the late 14th century as St Catherine's Church and converted to a mosque after the Ottoman conquest. It's only intermittently in use as a mosque and has also been an art gallery.
 * or Atatürk Square is the heart of the walled city. Most of its historic buildings have been lost, to be replaced with humdrum modern low-rise. So it's not scenic, but the Venetian Column was erected in 1550 (probably pilfered from the ancient Temple of Zeus at Salamis), and there's an Ottoman-era fountain, no longer connected.
 * Haydarpaşa Mosque is on Kirlizade Sk, 50 m south of the Lusignan House. It was built in Gothic style in the late 14th century as St Catherine's Church and converted to a mosque after the Ottoman conquest. It's only intermittently in use as a mosque and has also been an art gallery.
 * or Atatürk Square is the heart of the walled city. Most of its historic buildings have been lost, to be replaced with humdrum modern low-rise. So it's not scenic, but the Venetian Column was erected in 1550 (probably pilfered from the ancient Temple of Zeus at Salamis), and there's an Ottoman-era fountain, no longer connected.
 * or Atatürk Square is the heart of the walled city. Most of its historic buildings have been lost, to be replaced with humdrum modern low-rise. So it's not scenic, but the Venetian Column was erected in 1550 (probably pilfered from the ancient Temple of Zeus at Salamis), and there's an Ottoman-era fountain, no longer connected.
 * Holy Cross Catholic Church is just south of the Armenian Church on Ali H Mulla Sk, but from here you only get to admire its walls. The entrance and interior are in Nicosia South, where they call it Καθολικός Ναός του Τιμίου Σταυρού.
 * Samanbahçe is a photogenic neighborhood just south of Mevlevi Lodge.
 * Walled City Museum (Surlariçi Şehir Müzesi) on Girne Cd by Kyrenia Gate is a ramshackle collection of Islamic art and this 'n that.
 * City walls were built in the 14th century, but rebuilt by the Venetians from 1567. There are 11 bastions, each named for a Venetian family that put up the money: Roccas, Mula, Quirini, Barbaro and Loredon are in the north, five others are in the south city and one is in the buffer zone. Pedieos River was diverted to fill the moat. The walls were still incomplete when the Ottomans captured the city in 1570. They defined city limits until 1880 and are well preserved right around their 5 km circumference, though border sections are off-limits.
 * (Girne Kapısı) was built by the Venetians in 1567 as a portal through their new walls, and restored by the Ottomans in 1821. It's tiny and must have been an infuriating bottleneck for travellers to and from the port at Kyrenia; in modern times the adjoining city walls were taken down so it now perches on a traffic island. Dolmuşes from other towns drop off here and the gatehouse was formerly a Tourist Information Centre. The nearby National Struggle Museum (Milli Mücadele Müzesi) has been closed for years.
 * on Şehit Osman M Benli Sk is Greek Orthodox. It's mostly used as a cultural centre.
 * (Cumhuriyet Parkı) is 300 m south of Concorde Tower. Its main feature is the mausoleum of Rauf Denktaş (1924-2012), founder President of TRNC. He was politicised by EOKA terrorism in the late 1950s, which sought to merge Cyprus with Greece to the detriment of Turkish Cypriots. A Grecian coup in 1974 led to the invasion of Cyprus by Turkey, the partitioning of the island, and his presidency of a statelet recognised only by Turkey.
 * on Şehit Osman M Benli Sk is Greek Orthodox. It's mostly used as a cultural centre.
 * (Cumhuriyet Parkı) is 300 m south of Concorde Tower. Its main feature is the mausoleum of Rauf Denktaş (1924-2012), founder President of TRNC. He was politicised by EOKA terrorism in the late 1950s, which sought to merge Cyprus with Greece to the detriment of Turkish Cypriots. A Grecian coup in 1974 led to the invasion of Cyprus by Turkey, the partitioning of the island, and his presidency of a statelet recognised only by Turkey.
 * (Cumhuriyet Parkı) is 300 m south of Concorde Tower. Its main feature is the mausoleum of Rauf Denktaş (1924-2012), founder President of TRNC. He was politicised by EOKA terrorism in the late 1950s, which sought to merge Cyprus with Greece to the detriment of Turkish Cypriots. A Grecian coup in 1974 led to the invasion of Cyprus by Turkey, the partitioning of the island, and his presidency of a statelet recognised only by Turkey.

Do

 * Theatre: Nicosia Municipal Theatre (Lefkoşa Belediye Tiyatrosu) is 2 km north of Old Town on Şehit Osman M Benli Sk. It's a bit cramped so big events are staged further out on Near East University campus.
 * Büyük Hamam Turkish baths on Irfan Bey Sk are 500 years old, but closed for renovation in 2024.
 * Football: 16 teams play soccer in K-Pet Super League, the top tier in Northern Cyprus, and many are based in Nicosia, so you should find a game any weekend Sept-April. There isn't a national team as TRNC isn't recognised by FIFA.
 * Casinos are often sleazy cover for gabareler ("cabaret"), code-word for brothels.
 * Gönyeli Festival is a music event in September by Concorde Tower.

Buy

 * Supermarkets: lots of little stores in Old Town, mostly open daily 07:30-21:30.
 * Town Market (Bandabulia) is on Kuyumcular Sk, 100 m south of Selimiye Mosque and open M-Sa 08:30-17:30.

Eat

 * Traditional specialties include Molohiya, the local name for Mulukhiyah, a gloochy broth of jute leaves in tomato and garlic, often with lamb or chicken, and Yalancı dolma, vine leaves stuffed with rice, onions and tomatoes. Yalancı means "fake" as there's no meat. Plus the usual East Med dishes such as shish kebab (skewered lamb), döner kebab (carved from a vertical rotisserie), köfte (meatballs) and musakka (a bake of layered mince, potato and aubergine). Leave room for dessert.

Budget

 * Kiosks: kebab and sandwich shops are everywhere.

Drink

 * Most cafes serve alcohol.
 * Brewery: Double O Brewing makes a range of craft ales at Müftü Raci Efendi Sk 18, near Arab Ahmet Mosque. The taproom is open Su-F 06:00-00:30, Sa 16:00-01:00.

Sleep

 * Nicosia has limited accommodation for a capital city, as it's within a short travel time from the resort hotel strip on the Kyrenia coast. Pansiyons are clustered in Old Town. Several places calling themselves "hotels" are just tacky casinos and brothels.



Connect
As of March 2024, Nicosia and its approach roads have 4G from KKTC Turkcell and KKTC Telsim. 5G has not rolled out in Northern Cyprus.

Coverage by Cyprus Republic carriers extends for a km or two into Old Town, with 5G from Cyta Vodafone and Epic, and 4G from PrimeTel.

Go next

 * Everywhere in TRNC is within an hour or so's drive of Nicosia.


 * The historic port of Kyrenia is 20 minutes by car, with frequent buses. St Hilarion Castle is an interesting detour along the way.
 * Famagusta has a walled old city like Nicosia, but is rather run down.
 * The west edge of TRNC around Morphou and Dillirga is a 90 minute drive or dolmuş.
 * Nicosia South is an easy day trip providing you have eligibility to enter the EU without a visa - other passport holders may not enter from TRNC.