Armenian Church & Nunnery

Top choice in North Nicosia (Lefkoşa)

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This church and nunnery is first thought to have been established in the 13th century as the Abbey of Our Lady of Tyre, and was handed over to the island's Armenian community in the 15th century, when it became a principle place of worship. With the displacement of the city's Armenian community after the Green Line divided the city in 1963, the building fell into disrepair, but an eight-year project has restored the golden-stoned church to its former glory.

The interior is starkly beautiful, allowing the pointed arch detailing its full dramatic appeal. The attached nunnery is currently undergoing its own restoration project. Just behind the church itself, climb the set of stairs to get good photos of the bell tower.

Note that the entrance to the complex is not through the main gate on Salahi Şevket Sokak. Walk past the closed gate and turn left into the alleyway.

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