Must-see
Venetian Walls and Eleftheria Square
The heart of the capital; the exam asks about Nicosia, Ledra and Chora
The story
The old center of Nicosia, the capital of the Republic of Cyprus, is ringed by sixteenth-century Venetian walls with eleven heart-shaped bastions and three gates. The Venetians decided to refortify the city in 1567, and the walls were built to a design by the engineer Giulio Savorgnano. But already in 1570, after a siege, the Ottomans took the city. Under the British, passages were cut through the walls. The best known, at the start of Ledra Street, is now called Eleftheria Square, Freedom Square. It was rebuilt to a design by Zaha Hadid’s studio, and the square is now a bridge over the moat. The dividing line runs through the old town, and the northern part of the walls is in territory that the Republic of Cyprus does not control.
The capital of Cyprus is Nicosia (Λευκωσία), in ancient times Ledra (Λήδρα), popularly Chora (Χώρα), and it is the only district capital that is not on the sea. The old town is surrounded by sixteenth-century Venetian walls, and Eleftheria Square at their edge was rebuilt to a design by Zaha Hadid’s studio.
Visiting
The square is an open public space, free to enter. Pedestrian Ledra Street starts here; at its end is the crossing point to the north, where documents are checked.
On the way
Photos
Sources
- Nicosia Municipality — The new fortifications by Julio Savorgnano
- Nicosia Municipality — Eleftheria Square (regeneration project)
- Nicosia Municipality — The Siege of Nicosia
- Nicosia Municipality — Urban development (openings in the walls, 1879–1931)
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