Nicosia

From Freepedia

For the Italian town, see Nicosia, Sicily

Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia (Greek: Λευκωσία; see also List of traditional Greek place names) or Lefkoşa (Turkish), population 177,410 (1992), 200,686 (2001), is the capital of Cyprus and of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognised only by Turkey. Nicosia is located at 35°10' north, 33°21' east (35.1667, 33.35). [1] There have recently been some moves to use the Greek name Lefkosia as the official English name, but this has not been generally accepted.

Located on the Pedieos river, Nicosia is the center of an administrative district, and it is currently the only divided capital city in the world, with the northern (Turkish) and southern (Greek) portions divided by the "Green Line", a demilitarized zone maintained by the United Nations, although unlike Cold War East and West Berlin, few use the terms North Nicosia and South Nicosia.

The city is a trade center and manufactures textiles, leather, pottery, plastic, and other products. Copper mines are nearby. Nicosia is the seat of the University of Cyprus (UCY).

As of 2005, Mihalis Zambelas is the mayor of Nicosia, however in the north part of the town, in the sector of the de facto TRNC, the mayor is Kutlay Erk.

History

Known as Ledra or Ledrae in ancient times, the city was the seat of the kings of Cyprus from 1192, became a Venetian possession in 1489, and fell to the Turks in 1571.

The name Nicosia is said to have been adopted by the Venetians. When they conquered the island they mistook the name "Lefkosia" for "Nicosia", a town they had already known the name of in Sicily, thinking they both had the same name.

Nicosia was the scene of extreme violence in the period just prior to Cypriot independence in 1960. Since the Greek supported coup and Turkish invasion which followed it in 1974, part of the city's northern sector has been inside the boundary of a United Nations buffer zone.

The tombs of the Lusignan kings are in the former Cathedral of St. Sophia, now a mosque in the northern sector. The city also has well-preserved Venetian fortifications, built in the 16th century, which encircle the old, medieval part of the city.