Nicosia Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Nicosia (Lefkosia)

Country	Cyprus
District	Nicosia District
City-state	7th century BC
Capital	10th century
Population (2004)
• Total	270,000 (Southern (Greek)) 85,000 (Nortern (Turkish))
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
Website	www.nicosia.org.cy

Nicosia, also known as Lefkosia (Greek: Λευκωσία Turkish: Lefkoşa) is the capital city of the island country of Cyprus. It is also the largest city of that country. Niscosia is on the Pedieos (Kanlidere) river in the centre of the island. The city is the seat of government as well as the main business centre for Cyprus. Nicosia is capital of the administrative district (Nicosia District).

Division
Features
Climate
History
Twinnings
- Collaborations
Related pages
Images for kids
See also

Division

Nicosia is the only divided capital city in the world. It has a northern (Turkish) section and a southern (Greek) section. These sections are divided by the "Green Line". It is a demilitarized zone created by the United Nations. Unlike Cold War East and West Berlin, the terms "North Nicosia" and "South Nicosia" are not commonly used. The northern half of Nicosia is the capital of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Nicosia has a total population of 310,355.

Features

Nicosia has many shops, restaurants and entertainment. The city is a trade center. It manufactures textiles, leather, pottery, plastic, and other items. Copper mines are nearby. The University of Cyprus (UCY) is in Nicosia.

Climate

Nicosia has a hot semi-arid climate (BSh in the Koeppen climate classification).

History

Map of Nicosia in Cyprus, created in 1597

Famagusta Gate built in 1567

Nicosia was a city-state known as Ledra or Ledrae in ancient times. The king of Ledra was Onasagoras in 672 BC. The city was rebuilt by Lefkos, son of Ptolemy I around 300 BC. Ledra in Hellenic and Roman times was a small, unimportant town, also known as Lefkothea. It got its first Christian bishop, Trifillios, in 348.

The city became the island's capital around the 10th century. It had grown in importance because of threats to the coastal cities Paphos and Salamis. These threats made many people leave the coast of the island and move to Lefkosia in the center of the island.

The city became a Venetian possession in 1489. It was captured by the Ottoman Empire in 1571. During this time, the city grew culturally. In the 15th and 16th centuries, many palaces, churches and monasteries were built. About 20,000 people living in the city died because of the Ottoman attack of 1570.

Many disasters happened in the city during the 19th century. Cholera hit the city in 1835. Fire destroyed large parts of Nicosia in 1857.

The British Empire took control of the island in 1878. Nicosia was the capital of the new British colony.

In early 1974, military forces supported by the Greek government took control of Cyprus. Because of this, Turkey sent forces to the island to also try and take control of it. The Turkish forces caused the Greek supported government to end but the Turks refused to leave the country. The believed that if they left, the Turkish people living in Cyprus would be in danger:danger. The Turkish forces moved to the northern part of Cyprus and stayed there. Because of this, Cyprus and the city of Nicosia were divided in half. The northern area is contolled by Turkish Cypriots (people from Cyprus) as a part of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The southern part is controlled by Greek Cypriots.

Only the country of Turkey says that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is an actual country.

Twinnings

Germany, Schwerin, (1974)
Greece, Athens, (1988)
Ukraine, Odessa, (1996)
Iran, Shiraz, (1999)
Romania, Bucharest, (2004)
China, Shanghai, (2004)
Spain, Barcelona, (2004)
Lebanon, Beirut, (2004)
Mexico, Mexico City, (2004)
Italy, Milan, (2004)
United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi (2004)

Collaborations

Russia, Moscow, (2000)
Italy, Nicosia, Sicily, (2000)
China, Qingdao, (2001)
Greece, Athens, (2002, 2003)
Finland, Helsinki, (2003)
Croatia, Zagreb, (2004)

Images for kids

St. Sophia Cathedral, which was built during rule by the House of Lusignan and later converted into the Selimiye Mosque, exemplifies the Gothic architecture in Nicosia.
Venetian walls of Nicosia
The Nicosia aqueduct
View of Nicosia in 1878
Hoisting the British flag in Nicosia
View of Nicosia in 1914
Extensions to the Nicosia municipal area
Scheme for new pedestrianized streets in old Nicosia implemented after 2004
View of Nicosia from Shacolas Tower
Verandas in old Nicosia, on the right Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia
Ledra Street
St. John's Cathedral
Archbishop's Palace
The historical Samanbahçe neighborhood
Sarayönü Square
A view from the Yenişehir quarter
Pedieos river walking route
Holy Cross Church
Armenian Apostolic Church in Nicosia
Maronite Church in Nicosia
Anglican Church in Nicosia
Greek Evangelical Church of Nicosia
Armenian Evangelical Church of Nicosia
Converted Church
Omeriye Mosque in Nicosia
Cypriot Archeological Museum
The World of Cyprus, an acrylic painting with a total length of 17.5 meters by Adamantios Diamantis in Leventis Gallery
Section of the modern buildings of the University of Cyprus (UCY)
An entrance to the Melkonian Educational Institute
Central Bank of Cyprus
View of Nicosia Financial Quarter
Roundabout on the A1 highway in Nicosia
Public buses in Solomos Square
Start of Quantum Nicosia Marathon 2010 at the Famagusta Gate
Field club tennis courts
Christopher A. Pissarides, Nobel Prize winner in Economics

Nicosia facts for kids

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