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Nicosia
lies roughly at the center of the island, with a rich history that
can be traced back to the Bronze Age. Today
it blends its historic past brilliantly with the bustle of a modern
city. The heart of the city, enclosed by 16th century Venetian walls,
is dotted with museums, ancient churches and medieval buildings
preserving the nostalgic atmosphere of years past.
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, smell of jasmine flowers in those long summer evenings, and
craftsmen in small workshops practice trades unchanged for centuries.
The
old part of our city, our historical center, was withering away,
and problems within the walls just increased every day - traffic,
lack of green areas, difficult living conditions and other problems.
The Government of Cyprus, being aware of the problem the old city
faced every day, decided in 1977 to expropriate the area of Laiki
Yitonia, a small area not bigger than 1000 square meters. The main
aim was to breathe new life to the city within the walls, by creating
a nucleus with a very strong folkloric character that would combine,
commercial and cultural activities.
The
modern city that has developed outside the walls is a cosmopolitan
center of business and culture. Nicosia is regarded as the shopping
heart of Cyprus, with a variety of restaurants, discos and bars.
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