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Enter Northern Nicosia (see Northern Nicosia) at the Kyrenia gate and walk south down Girne Caddesi to Ataturk Meydan, the hub of the old town. South of here, the city’s historic buildings tower above a maze of narrow streets.
Walk down Asmaali Sok to the fortress-like Büyük Han, a 16th-century caravanserai with an arcaded courtyard which now houses boutiques and a pleasant café, then turn left towards the soaring Gothic front of the Selimiye Camii. This 700-year-old cathedral of Agia Sofia (Holy Wisdom) turned mosque is Northern Nicosia’s greatest glory. Behind it, signs lead you to a small square, Selimiye Meydan, and the Sultan Mahmut Library, an eight-sided building with a domed roof containing a collection of Islamic manuscripts and ancient Korans. On the opposite side of the square, a haphazard collection of stonework in the Lapidary Museum includes medieval crests, Turkish tombstones and gargoyles stripped from the Gothic cathedral.
Immediately south of the Selimiye is another Gothic relic, the church of St Nicholas, which became a storehouse under the Ottomans. Across the road, the Belidiye Pazari is the town’s central market, with a colourful mix of produce stands and arts and crafts sellers.
Walk back through the Arabahmet quarter, and enjoy lunch at the Boghjalian Konak Restaurant (see Boghjalian Konak Restaurant, Nicosia).
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