Nicosia

There are many things you can do in Nicosia, most of them on foot. In Ledras Street, visit the Shacolas Tower Observatory, where at the 6th floor you will have a panoramic view of Nicosia. At the end of Ledras Street, there is the checkpoint, where the Green Line that divided the country into two, used to be. Now, through that checkpoint you can cross over to the north of Nicosia, the occupied part. There are quite a few interesting museums in Nicosia. The Museum of Cyprus is the main archaeological museum on the island, where through artefacts (pottery, jewelry, sculpture etc.), you can revisit the history of Cyprus from the prehistoric times to the early Christian period. The Byzantine Museum, with a rich collection of Byzantine Art, the Ethnographic Museum with a good collection of 19th century and early 20th century folk art and nearby the Archbishop Makarios III Foundation Art Galleries, are located in the Archbishop’s Palace Square.

One of the latest additions in Nicosia is the A.G Leventis Gallery, hosting a private collection of Cypriot and world renowned artists. It’s also worth visiting the State Gallery of Contemporary Art, that houses the work of contemporary Cypriot artists. On the other hand if you want a more relaxed day in the capital, go shopping in Makariou III Avenue, Stasikratous and Mnasiadou Street, or even shop for fresh vegetables and fruit sold by local producers, in the OCHI open market that takes places every Saturday in the area of Bayraktar Mosque, on one of the 11 bastions of the Venetian walls of Nicosia.