Presidential Palace
The president’s residence: Cyprus is a presidential, not a parliamentary, republic
The story
The Presidential Palace in Nicosia is the residence and workplace of the President of the Republic of Cyprus. Under the British, a wooden house shipped in from abroad stood here, the residence of the British High Commissioner. It was burned during the uprising of 1931, and a new governor’s residence in local style was built on the spot. After independence in 1960, the building became the president’s palace. On July 15, 1974, during the coup against President Archbishop Makarios, the palace burned, and only the walls survived. A few years later it was restored with money from Greece, and since 1979 it has again served as the president’s workplace and home.
Cyprus is a presidential republic, not a parliamentary one; on the exam of July 4, 2026, the statement “Cyprus is a parliamentary democracy” was a wrong option. The president is elected by direct universal vote for five years, heads the executive and personally appoints the ministers.
Visiting
The grounds are guarded, with no public access. You can walk up to the fence and gates by the roundabout on Strovolos Avenue; the building itself stands deep in the park, about 150 m from the gates.
On the way
Photos
Sources
- Nicosia Municipality — Presidential Palace (history of the building: 1878, 1925, 1931, 1960, 15.07.1974, restored with funds from Greece, since 1979)
- Σύνταγμα της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας, CyLaw (Art. 1 — «προεδρικού συστήματος»; Art. 39 — direct universal elections; Art. 43 — five-year term; Art. 46 — ministers)
- Cyprus Mail, 19.07.2026 — analysis of the July 4 exam questions (the “parliamentary democracy” option was wrong)
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