Nicosia (Lefkoşa), North Cyprus: area guide

Nicosia sits inland at the centre of the island, about 25 km south of Kyrenia over the Beşparmak mountain pass — roughly half an hour by car. Ercan airport is about 20 minutes east, which makes the capital an easy first or last stop. The old city inside the Venetian walls is compact and walkable; the modern districts and the Dereboyu strip spread out around it and are easier with a car or taxi.

Since 1974 a United Nations buffer zone — the Green Line — has divided Nicosia between the Turkish Cypriot north and the Greek Cypriot south. It is the only capital city in the world still split this way, and walking up to the line is a genuinely striking experience. The Ledra Street checkpoint is pedestrian and usually takes under ten minutes to cross with a passport, opening onto a pedestrianised shopping street on either side. Check current crossing requirements before you go.

The Selimiye Mosque is the landmark of northern Nicosia: a 13th-century cathedral built in full French Gothic style, converted to a mosque after the Ottoman conquest and given two minarets. The effect — soaring Gothic vaults above a plain, carpeted prayer hall — is unlike anything else on the island. Around it, the old city inside the Venetian walls is a warren of lanes, with the covered market and craft workshops of the Arasta district nearby.

A couple of minutes' walk from Selimiye stands Büyük Han, built in 1572 by Lala Mustafa Pasha, the first Ottoman governor of Cyprus. It is the largest caravanserai on the island and one of the best-preserved Ottoman inns anywhere in the eastern Mediterranean — a two-storey courtyard building that once housed travelling merchants and their animals, and now holds craft shops, galleries, and a courtyard café. It's the most pleasant coffee stop in the old city.

The capital has the island's biggest and most local dining scene — this is where Cypriots eat rather than where visitors are funnelled. Dereboyu is the main strip for restaurants and nightlife, with international kitchens alongside kebab houses and pide salons. Tap a linked name to open its card.

• Hamburg XL — burgers and grills, Dereboyu.
• Katsu Express — Japanese and Asian food, Dereboyu.
• Burger Tunes — burgers, Dereboyu.
• Kerem Lounge Restaurant — Dereboyu.
• Amalfi Italian Restaurant — pizza and pasta.
• Bangkok — Thai food, Yenişehir.
• Yıldırım Pide — Turkish pide and lahmacun.
• Biryani House — Indian and biryani, Kaliland.

Half a day covers the essentials — Selimiye, Büyük Han, the old city lanes, and a look at the Green Line. A full day lets you add the crossing to the southern half, the covered market, and a proper dinner on Dereboyu. Most visitors treat Nicosia as a day trip from Kyrenia rather than a base, since the coast is only half an hour away.