Cyprus

Once enclosed by a star-shaped wall, Lefkosia's boundaries today are dictated by the UN's Green Line, which makes the city the world's only - and hopefully the last - divided capital. Lefkosia remains a friendly, laid-back place, with good restaurants, museums, and a lively art scene.

Before the 20th century

Established in the middle of the wide Mesaoria plain, on the Pedieos River for defence purposes, Lefkosia has always been the country's capital. The city was originally known as Ledra, the name kept by one of its major streets, and grew extensively during the Byzantine period. The Venetians, who briefly held Lefkosia from 1489, built the stone defensive walls around the city. But these did little to keep the Ottomans out in 1570. Life in Lefkosia under the Ottomans saw little growth and only when the British took control in 1878 did the city begin to spread beyond the walls.

Modern history

Violence inspired by the Ethniki Organosi tou Kypriakou Agona (EOKA; National Organisation for the Cypriot Struggle) against the British in the 1950s and then the Turkish Cypriots in the '60s saw considerable carnage on the streets of Lefkosia. Intercommunal disturbances between Greek and Turkish Cypriots in 1963 brought a de facto partition of the city. The so-called 'Green Line' came into being at this time when the British military defined the Greek and Turkish areas using a green pen on a military map. The name has stuck to this day. The Turkish invasion of 1974 finally divided the city and it has remained so ever since, chaperoned by the watchful but increasingly weary eyes of UN peacekeeping forces.

Recent history

In 2003 crossing the Green Line was made easier, and now many Turkish Cypriots from the northern side of the city come to work in the southern side of the capital. Many protests take place in Lefkosia for the abolishment of the Green Line and the buffer zone, but so far they have made little headway.

Top Accommodation

Top Restaurants

Lefkosia enjoys an intensely Mediterranean climate with a typically strongly marked seasonal rhythm. Summers are hot and dry and last from June until September. Winters are changeable, with cold and warmer weather alternating. Autumn in October and spring in April and May are short and the transition between winter and summer is rapid. Rain falls mainly in autumn and winter, and outside these months precipitation is rare. Summer maximum temperatures often reach 40˚C (104˚F) or more.

Average weather

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Transport

Getting there and away

Lefkosia's international airport is in the UN buffer zone and is no longer a functioning airport. All air passengers for Lefkosia will arrive via Larnaka airport. Most airlines that serve Southern Cyprus have offices or representatives in Lefkosia.

There are many private bus companies operating out of Lefkosia. Most buses depart from one of two areas: Plateia Solomou, abutting the Tripoli Bastion, and from a bus lot next to the Constanza Bastion 700m (2300ft) further east. Other services have their own departure points.

Traffic approaching Lefkosia tends to come from either the Troödos Mountains to the west, or Larnaka and Lemesos in the south. The Larnaka-Lemesos motorway ends fairly abruptly on the outskirts of Lefkosia about 6km (4mi) south of the Old City. By following the extension of the motorway into the city centre, you will eventually reach Arhiepiskopou Makariou III, the main thoroughfare in the New City. Traffic from Troödos will enter the city along Leoforos Georgiou Griva Digeni.

Parking is most easily found at the large car parks fringing the city bastions, to the right of Arhiepiskopou Makariou III, or to your left if you approach from the Troödos. The most convenient one for new arrivals is the large lot between the D'Avila and Constanza bastions on Leoforos Stasinou. Buy a ticket from the machine and display it on the inside of your windscreen.

Leaving Lefkosia is made easy by the prominent signs all along Leoforos Stasinou. Be wary, however, of the many one-way streets and the numerous on-street parking restrictions. Avoid the peak period of 11:00 to 13:00 midweek when traffic can be very slow.

All service-taxi destinations are now handled by Travel & Express (tel: 7777 7474; Municipal Parking Place, Salaminos) just next to the Podocataro Bastion. Although Travel & Express will pick you up at an appointed time from anywhere in urban Lefkosia, delays of up to 30min are the norm. Be prepared and leave at least an hour extra if you're getting a service taxi to the airport. Passengers boarding at the Podocatoro Bastion will usually spend up to 30min picking up other passengers before actually departing Lefkosia. Service taxis deliver passengers to both Larnaka and Pafos airports.

Getting around

Once only a distant memory, crossing freely between the North and the South has become pretty straightforward since the easing of border restrictions in 2003. When you cross over you will then be issued a 'visa' (the small piece of paper will be stamped) allowing you to stay for up to three months in Northern Cyprus. It is important to look after this piece of paper, since you will be required to show it when you leave. There are no restrictions on how many times you can cross backwards and forwards. The visa paper is enforced only in the North. You are now also allowed to cross into the Republic of Cyprus (the South) if your point of entry into the country is in the North. The border is open 24 hours a day, and many people cross in the middle of the night. Crossing via Ledra palace, as a pedestrian, is hassle-free. The easiest thing to do, if you have luggage and don't want to walk, is to get a taxi to take you anywhere in the North. Most drivers should be happy to do this, but if one refuses, try another. Most taxi drivers who go to the North regularly will have the visa leaflet that you will need to fill out.

There is no public or airline transport between Lefkosia and Larnaka or Pafos airports. You can, however, take a service taxi to either airports, but do make sure you leave at least an hour for your journey, as picking up and dropping off the other passengers can take a long time. This applies particularly to those flying from Pafos airport, because passengers travelling from Lefkosia to Pafos with a service taxi have to change in Lemesos, which can sometimes include a wait of around 30min.

The urban bus station is at Plateia Solomou. Lefkosia Buses (tel: 2266 5814) operates numerous routes to and from the city and suburbs. Because most of the major sites and hotels are within walking distance of each other, urban buses are of limited use. At Plateia Dionysiou you can hire cars at Solomou is A Petsas & Sons (tel: 2246 2650). There are no bicycles for rent in or around the Old City.