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Nicosia is the capital of Cyprus. It is also its largest city. Nicosia, also known as 'Lefkosia' derived its name from Lefkos, son of Ptolemy I of Egypt during the 12th century. The city, which is the seat of government as well as the main business center, is the only divided capital city in the world. Since 1192, the city was the seat of the Lusignan kings of Cyprus. Later in 1489, it was possessed by Venetia. Nicosia fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1571. It faced extreme violence before the Cypriot independence in 1960. Being the capital of Cyprus, it is the political, economic and cultural head of the nation. It is also the center and capital of Nicosia District. The Mayor has the authority over the Municipality of Nicosia.
Area & Location: Located on the Pedieos River and in the center of the island, Nicosia is situated at 35°10' Latitude North and 33°21' Longitude East. The city is home to 206,200 of its residents.
Tourist Attractions: The number of museums, mosques and monuments in the city attract the attention of the tourists.
Transportation: Following some controversy, the Nicosia International Airport in the city is not functioning since 1974. After the Ercan Airport is considered as an illegal airport, the airport operates only the flights coming from Turkey. Several taxi companies in the city provide taxis in and around the city round the clock.
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Hotels:The Nicosia hotels offer all amenities to its guests that provide complete satisfaction to them. The star hotels in the city like Hilton Cyprus, The Classic Hotel,
Castelli Hotel, Hilton Park Nicosia, Holiday Inn Nicosia City Center, Cleopatra Hotel, and Asty Hotel provide refurbished rooms and mouth-watering dishes to its customers.
Places of Attraction:The city with Venetian walls has museums, churches and medieval buildings enclosed in it. Eleftheria Square situated in the heart of the city is the major landmark of Nicosia. The city holds several churches such as Agia Fanomereni
and St John Cathedral Cathedral built in 15th and 17th centuries. The city is known for its fine museums. Byzantine museum, which has the largest collection of religious icons often attract the attention of the tourists. Folk Art Museum, National Struggle Museum, Cyprus Ethnological Museum, the Handicrafts Center, The Nicosia Jewels Museum and the Municipal Arts Center, The 'Levention' Municipal Museum, which presents the capital's history, are worth visiting. Tourists spare time to visit these museums from where they absorb enough in-depth knowledge about the country and its history. Major mosques like the Selimiye Mosque, Haydarpasha Mosque and Arabahmet Mosque attract many pilgrims from far and wide.
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