A BRIEF HISTORY OF NICOSIA
A CAPITAL CITY
FIVE THOUSAND YEARS OF HISTORYÂ
Nicosia has been the capital of Cyprus since the seventh century, but the city has a rich and diverse history that dates back nearly five thousand years. First known as Ledra, Nicosia’s first settlement was established at a strategic location at the centre of the island. Ledra went on to thrive, mainly due to its access to the fertile plain of Mesaoria and the settlement’s success meant that it became a focal point for numerous civilizations throughout the ages. Ledra eventually became Lefkosia and then Nicosia and the city itself has been a significant centre for trade, culture, and politics since its inception.
THE BRONZE AGE
A SETTLEMENT BY A RIVER
The settlement of Ledra was thought to have become permanent during the Bronze Age. Its construction took place by the river Pedeios. Today, the remains of the original Ledra are located in the Ayia Paraskevi hill area, southeast of today’s city.Â
FORMED BY ARCHEANS
Formed by the Achaeans after the end of the Trojan War, Ledra would later became one of the twelve kingdoms of ancient Cyprus. At this time, Ledra was far less important than other coastal city-states, such as Kourion and Paphos, because of its mainly farming community that did not trade goods. Â
THE ROMAN ERA
A NEW COMMERCIAL CENTRE OF PRODUCTION
Cyprus eventually became a Roman province fifty or so years before the advent of Christianity. Whilst Romans administrators retained Paphos as their capital city, they recognised Ledra’s strategic importance, and the whole region flourished as a commercial centre of production. The Romans loosely kept in place the twelve kingdoms of Cyprus, but administered them under four administrative regions. Ledra was the capital city of one of these administrative regions. The Romans also constructed a number of significant buildings, which enlarged the old city perimeter.Â
A WHITE ESTATE
The Romans introduced trade to the region bringing renewed fortunes for the fast-developing city. Greek Cypriots at the time were referring to Ledra as Lefkosia, which translates to ‘White Estate’ in Greek. The name is thought to derive from the abundance of white poplar trees that grew profusely along the river Pedeios up to the city. The city eventually adopted the new name when Roman administrators officially renamed Ledra to Lefkosia.
THE BYZANTINE GREEKS
A NEW CAPITAL CITY
The Byzantine Greeks took control of the island in the seventh century and they immediately installed Lefkosia as their main seat of power, eventually becoming the new Byzantine capital city of Cyprus. The city saw the construction of significant religious and administrative buildings and by the 10th century, Lefkosia had become a bustling hive of activity and a major centre of trade on the island. Trade remained at the centre of the city’s economy and agricultural goods, luxury items and metal ware were frequently produced.
A NEW ERA
In the early part of the twelfth century, Cyprus broke away from the Byzantine Empire. Cyprus came under the control of a local Byzantine Greek despot ruler named Isaac Komnenos. He declared himself a self-styled emperor of the island. Although the now debunked Cyprus loosely held ties with the Byzantine Empire, it had lost its protection.
THE ANGLO-NORMANS
RICHARD THE LIONHEART
Byzantine Greek dominion on the island came to an abrupt and violent end in the latter part of the twelfth century with the arrival of Richard the Lionheart. The Anglo-Norman king of England, on his way to the crusades, sought refuge in Cyprus after a storm forced his fleet towards the coast of Limassol. Komnenos forces welcomed them by plundering the treasure from wrecked ships, taking a number of crusaders and their remaining ships prisoner.Â
A NEW WAR
After the Lionheart’s remaining army washed up on Limassol’s shores, he ordered his far superior forces to take control of the entire island. Komnenos forces lost a series of battles and the crusaders eventually captured his banner. They ruthlessly hunted down the remaining parts of Komnenos de facto Byzantine Greek army. Komnenos himself sought refuge in his final stronghold of Lefkosia and after a brief siege he surrendered the city on condition that it be spared any attrition. The Lionheart accepted Komnenos surrender and with this, Byzantine Greek rule on the island came to an abrupt end. The Lionheart would go on to spend the rest of the year on the island, celebrating his marriage with Berengaria of Navarre, who was crowned queen consort of England in the Limassol castle, before finally embarking on his crusade.
THE ANGLO-NORMANS
A FEUDAL KINGDOM
Richard the Lionheart ruled Cyprus with an iron fist and his short tenorship was defined by high taxation and brutality. He also left a lasting legacy on the island by introducing feudalism, creating a feudal kingdom on the island for the first time. Lefkosia, as a result, experienced a sharp decline after it was exploited and plundered for all of its wealth.Â
A CONSTANT REBELLION
All administration transferred to Limassol where the Anglo-Norman administration imposed heavy taxes on the general population. This was done to help finance their crusade, Cypriots all over the island often rebelled. Each uprising was met with severe force and was mercilessly crushed. The Cypriot leaders of any rebellions often suffered public execution, but they were quickly replaced and their struggle continued unabated.Â
A TROUBLESOME ISLAND
A year after his conquest, Richard the Lionheart was ready to set off for his crusade. He decided to sell the troublesome, but very profitable little island to the Knights Templar and this sale marked the end of the short Anglo-Norman rule on the island.
THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
A CONTINUEING DECLINE
The Knights Templar moved their administrative headquarters east to Kolossi and used the imposing Kolossi castle as their main base of operations. They kept the feudal system in place and this allowed them to continue to enforce extremely high taxes on the populace. Lefkosia’s decline continued under this regime and the open rebellions increased.Â
AN UNTENABLE SITUATION
The Knight Templers however, were not as strong in numbers as their Anglo-Norman counterparts were, and the situation soon became untenable for them within the year. After heavy losses, the Knights Templar passed on the island to Guy de Lusignan of the Franks, who had just lost the city of Jerusalem to the forces of Saladin. This marked the end of the short reign of the Knights Templar on the island.
THE FRANKS OF LUSIGNAN
A FAIRER SYSTEM
The Frankish lords of the Lusignan dynasty promptly took control of Cyprus and set about establishing their own kingdom on the island. They continued to rule using the system of feudalism, but with a much fairer tax system. This action halted all Cypriot rebellions almost immediately and they managed to secure their rule on the island for the next three centuries.Â
A NEW FRENCH SOUNDING NAME
The Franks moved all administrative activity back to Lefkosia, restoring the city to its former glory as the islands capital. Their arrival also marked the third name change. The French speaking Crusaders pronounced Lefkosia as ‘Nicosie’ and this eventually became Nicosia.Â
A RENEWED PROSPERITY
Cyprus initially enjoyed remarkable prosperity under Frankish rule, and Nicosia once again became a major trading centre. The city began exporting high quality goods to both Europe and the Middle East. The Catholic Church had replaced the Greek Orthodox Church as the island’s main religion, but Orthodoxy still practiced unopposed. The Building of highly impressive gothic style Latin churches took place and Latin monasteries were installed across the island. Nicosia saw the construction of the Saint Sophia Cathedral, which would eventually become the resting place for the Lusignan Cypriot kings.
A TIME OF TURMOIL
A SHARP DECLINE
The Franks rule on the island began to splinter during the early part of the 15th century when they saw a sharp decline in their fortunes. Tensions with the Republic of Genoa, who also had a presence on the island, came to a head when Genoan forces sacked a defenseless Nicosia. The Franks reesponded by building the city’s first defensive walls, but these had little effect against the Mamluk Sultanate who went on to once again sack the city a few years later, leaving it in ruins.Â
NEW DEFENSES
The Franks eventually rebuilt the city, but this time they turned it into a formidable fortress stronghold. They constructed a set of highly impressive fortifications for the time and these included re-enforced walls with towers. Their building program also included a number of new gothic churches, administrative buildings, and a new palace.
THE REPUBLIC OF VENICE
THE REPUBLIC OF VENICE
The Republic of Venice was a very powerful trading empire that had begun expanding into the eastern Mediterranean. They also had a presence on the island and they saw Cyprus not only as a trading partner but also as an ideal military base that they could use against an emerging Ottoman Empire in the east. During the latter part of the 15th century, an opportunity for them to take control of the island presented itself and they swiftly acted, becoming the island’s new rulers.Â
AN OTTOMAN THREAT
Another great empire was rising in the east, however, and the Ottomans had developed into a sophisticated militaristic expansionist empire that had already conquered Greece by this time. The Ottomans had Cyprus firmly in their sights and the Republic of Venice knew it and sought to protect their newly acquired territory at all costs.Â
AN IMPENING CONFRONTATION
The Venetians set about preparing for the impending confrontation with the Ottomans and they undertook an ambitious plan of fortification. They also maintained a heavy military presence on the island and Venetian military architects went about strengthening their capital city’s defences.
THE INFAMOUS STAR-SHAPED WALLS
A NEW WALL
The Venetians demolished the original Frankish walls and replaced them with the walls that we see today. The walls completely surround the old city of Nicosia and were designed at the time, to be more suitable for artillery. The walls have a perimeter of 4.5 km and they incorporate 11 bastions that create the infamous star shapes, and three main gates. Each gate was named after the region that it faces. The Kyrenia gate faces north, the Paphos gate faces west and the Famagusta gate faces east. Today, five bastions are located in the Greek zone, and another five are located in the Turkish zone. The 11th bastion is located in the buffer zone that is controlled by United Nations.
THE OTTOMANS
SHAKESPEARE’S OTHELLO
In the latter part of the 16th century, over 60,000 highly skilled Ottoman troops, including cavalry and artillery units, landed unopposed on the coast of Cyprus. In less than three years the Ottomans seized Nicosia after a drawn-out brutal siege. This conflict sets the historical setting for Shakespeare’s Othello, which portrays the story of the title character commanding a Venetian garrison in the defence of Cyprus against the Ottomans. Nearly all of the population of Nicosia perished during the siege, which lasted for 40 days and left only 1,000 or so survivors.Â
A NEW SEAT OF POWER
Ottoman rule would continue unabated on the island for the next three centuries with Nicosia becoming its main seat of power. Representatives of each community on the island would regularly gather in the city to discuss matters of state. These representatives included the Pasha, who represented the Ottomans and the Greek Archbishop, who represented the Greek Cypriots. The Dragoman, who were the official translators and the Qadi who acted as magistrates also held seats. A Mukhtar was installed in each city, town and village and most of the Latin churches became mosques, including the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Nicosia.Â
24 NEW SEGREGATED DISTRICTS
The re-organisation of the 12 quarters of the old city saw the creation of 24 new segregated districts. Each district was represented by a mosque or a church, which in turn represented its local community. Nicosia and its economy generally suffered under Ottoman rule, as trade with Europe declined, but the city did benefit from an Ottoman building program. This included the repair of the famous star-shaped walls, which were now in a dilapidated state after the siege.Â
A NEW ROLE FOR THE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCHÂ
The Greek Orthodox Church continued to practice on condition that the clergy collected taxes on behalf of the Ottomans. The overall Ottoman rule was tolerated by most but Greek Cypriots but those that did not toe the line were met with severe reprisals, ultimately leading to several Greek Cypriots and ecclesiastics being executed at the city’s walls by Ottoman authorities.
THE BRITISH EMPIRE
A BARGAINING CHIP
Cyprus became a British colony in exchange for Britain’s support during the Russian-Turkish war of the late 19th century. The Ottoman Empire granted the British full administration rights over the island and under British rule, Cyprus as a whole began to flourish again.
AN EXPANDING CITY
Nicosia once again became a major centre of trade and commerce and the British extended the city’s borders. Villages such as Palouriotissa, Kaimakli and Omorfita, situated on the outskirts of the old city were absorbed and became neighbourhoods of the city we know today.Â
MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE & GOVERNANCE
British rule also brought modern infrastructure and governance and several new administrative buildings were constructed as part of Nicosia’s modernisation. Nicosia’s schools and hospitals were also revamped and the first hotels in the city began to operate. Several roads were widened and improved for the first automobiles to be brought to the island. The first proper postal and telegraph service, headquartered in Nicosia, was also introduced along with the first printing press.Â
A STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENENCE
EOKA
By 1955, the seeds of self determination were firmly sewn into the Cypriot psyche. An armed struggle against British rule began and the Greek Cypriot nationalist military resistance organisation, known as EOKA, led the struggle. This brought violent protests to the streets of Nicosia. Cyprus became a paradise lost and Nicosia became a city under curfew. The struggle would last for five years until Cyprus gained its freedom and independence in 1960.
A NEW REPUBLIC
A NEW CONFLICT
Nicosia became the capital of the newly established presidential Republic of Cyprus when the island gained its independence in 1960. Joy turned to turmoil however, in 1963 when inter-communal violence broke out between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. A political dispute resulted in Turkish Cypriots withdrawing from the government and creating segregated communities all over the island. The division of Nicosia into Greek and Turkish sectors took place and this was further compounded when further troubles again broke out again a year later.
AN INVASION & AN OCCUPATION
THE TURKISH INVASION
A coup d’état precipitated the invasion of the island by Turkish forces in the summer of 1974. The invasion led to the subsequent occupation of 37% of the island and the permanent division of Nicosia. Savage fighting took place at the Nicosia International Airport, which today lies abandoned in the buffer zone. The Ledra Palace hotel, which today acts as part of the United Nations headquarters on the island, also was the scene of a severe battle between Greek and Turkish forces. The division of Nicosia became permanent after hostilities ended. Today this division remains a stark reminder of the ongoing political stalemate between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots on the island.Â
AN ISLAND OF DIVISION
NICOSIA TODAY
Nicosia today remains the only divided capital city in the world. The infamous green Line, which got its name from the colour of the pen used to draw it on a map, marks a United Nations buffer zone that separates the city into the Greek Cypriot south and the Turkish Cypriot north. The initial separation that occurred in 1963 has become a permanent militarised border since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus 11 years later. Today, Greek and Turkish sentries stand just metres apart on either side of the city’s border.  Â
THE LEDRA PALACE CROSSING
In 2003, the Ledra Palace crossing opened for the very first time since the invasion of 1974. In 2016, Nicosia became the only capital city in the world with two time zones, after the de facto Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus abolished standard time and synchronised their time zone with mainland Turkey. The following year, due to criticism from the Turkish Cypriots, this policy was reversed and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus time zone reverted to match the rest of Europe.Â
AN EVOLVING CITY
As well as its legislative and administrative functions, Nicosia has also established itself as the island’s financial capital and acts as the island’s main international centre of business. The city continues to evolve as a modern metropolis while preserving its rich cultural heritage. Today the city is a modern dynamic place that has a vibrant and diverse economic culture, driven by trade, industry and tourism. The city’s historical sites attract visitors from all over the world, offering a glimpse into its multifaceted past. In 2018, Nicosia was the 32nd richest city in the world in relative purchasing power.
