Nicosia

Nicosia lies at the center of Cyprus, no more than one and a half hours from any mountain or coastal resort. As the administrative center and the seat of Government, the city is dotted with the various ministries and diplomatic missions. Over the last decade, the capital has experienced impressive progress, as Cyprus approaches accession to Europe. Sophisticated facilities, professional services, regular trade fairs and exhibitions have made Nicosia a favorable canter for both local as well as offshore businesses. Alongside its importance as a commercial center, the city boasts a number of sights and events of cultural as well as historical interest.

To walk through the old city is to step backwards in time. Narrow streets and old houses with ornate balconies jut from weather-beaten sandstone walls, and craftsmen in small workshops practise trades unchanged for centuries. "Laiki Geitonia" - Folk Neighbourhood - is a pedestrian section which has been carefully renovated to evoke the atmosphere of past days. The two main streets of old Lefkosia, Ledra and Onasagorou, are lined with shops of every type and both streets are pedestrian-only.

Nicosia

Since 1974 Nicosia is a divided city, through the centre runs the "Green-Line" (named like this because the line was drawn with a green pencil on the city map), guarded by UN-Soldiers. Greek and Turkish flags are blowing in the wind at many places with a distance of only ten or twenty meters from eachother; Turkish and Greek posts could shake hands at more than one place during their duties, if they only wanted to and if only they were allowed to.

Overall, Nicosia is known for its successful union of business and pleasure, of the functional and the beautiful. It is unmistakably the cosmopolitan capital of our island.