Sightseeing in Nicosia - what to see. Complete travel guide

The capital of Cyprus, Nicosia is one of the world's most popular resorts. Nicosia won love and preference of tourists thanks to its superb beaches, beautiful natural landscapes and large choice of attractions.

The central part of the city is considered the old quarter. The buildings made many centuries ago can be found here. You will see the modern restaurants and shopping centers, souvenir shops and small boutiques with clothes nearby. Particular attention should be paid to local restaurants, as a visitor, who is not familiar with their variety, could easily get lost in their diversity. You will find best national dishes in Archontico, tourists who prefer Chinese food simply can’t fail to visit Chang's China Restaurant. The best French restaurant is called Bagatelle, and Mexican cuisine fans should definitely visit El Pueblo. In Nicosia there are even Lebanese cuisine restaurants, the most famous of which is Abu Faysal.

In order to diversify your holiday in this city, mix your rest on the beach and visits to restaurants with sightseeing. Moreover, there are so many attractions in Nicosia. On the territory of the city and its surroundings you can see numerous ancient monasteries and churches (Agios Iraklidios Female Monastery, Machaira Monastery, Agios Ioannis Cathedral, Church of Saints Barnabas and Hilarion). In the city are opened numerous museums and cultural centers. Pancyprian geographical museum is always open to visitors. The museum’s exhibition is devoted to the flora and fauna of the island. Visit the center of folk crafts called Chrisaliniotissa, where you can see the works of local craftsmen. Numismatics fans will be interested to visit the Museum of Cypriot coins History, and enjoy the panoramic views of the city during the excursion to Ledra Museum, where visitors are offered to attend a large observatory. Finally, you should not ignore the Cyprus Museum of jewelry as you will not find such beautiful jewelry anywhere else. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

An important architectural monument of the city is the Archbishop's Palace, even though it was built recently, in 1960. The three-story neo-Byzantine-style building features a rich interior decoration. The facade of the palace is decorated with exquisite sculptures and moldings, its walls keep valuable works of art and antique furniture. The palace is officially closed for excursions, but some of its parts can still be viewed. On the first floor of the palace, there is a library and several museums representing collections of archaeological and historical finds.

Not far from Nicosia is an important archaeological site where the ruins of the ancient city of Tamassos were discovered. Historians know very little about this city: according to some sources, the first settlements appeared here in the prehistoric era. The city was founded near the large copper deposits. The extraction of this metal allowed the city to successfully develop and prosper for hundreds of years. By the 10th century, the mines were almost completely depleted, the city came to desolation and soon was completely abandoned.

State Gallery of Contemporary Cypriot Art opened in 1994 is sure to please every fan of contemporary painting. Of course, it has a permanent exhibition including works by famous Cypriot artists of the 19th century. In addition, the gallery regularly holds exhibitions of contemporary painters. While visiting the exhibition, you can not only admire the beautiful paintings but also buy artworks you like.

A real open-air museum is the historical village of Tamassos, tours of which are also regularly organized for the guests of Nicosia. Despite the fact that this village is currently uninhabited, it still does not remain without the attention of travelers. Local residents left their homes in the 19th century, the village was in desolation for several decades. With the development of the tourism industry, it was decided to restore the village, and now each of its building is a kind of mini-museum. The atmosphere of typical houses of the indigenous population of the 18th - 19th centuries is precisely recreated in many buildings. Of course, the main exhibits of the open-air museum are its unique stone houses.