Cypriot Swallow

Top choice in North Nicosia (Lefkoşa)


With its jaunty blue-shuttered windows and teensy courtyard brimming with geraniums, owner Birgül and her all-female staff have created North Nicosia's cosiest guesthouse. The three spacious rooms have powerful showers, fast wi-fi and thoughtful touches such as bedside lamps, kettles and spare electricity adaptors. It's thoroughly modern and comfortable, and the breakfast of yummy Cypriot specialities sets you up for the day.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby North Nicosia (Lefkoşa) attractions

1. Mevlevi Tekke Museum

0.15 MILES

This 17th-century former tekke (dervish house) was once Cyprus' central meeting place for the island's followers of the Mevlevi Order. Made famous by the…

2. Dr Fazil Küçük Museum

0.19 MILES

Doctor, newspaper publisher and politician Fazil Küçük was the Turkish Cypriot community's leader from the 1940s to '60s; when the Republic of Cyprus was…

3. Samanbahçe Quarter

0.24 MILES

This neighbourhood of whitewashed terraced cottages, tucked off Girne Caddesi, was Cyprus' first social housing project. Built in the early 20th century,…

4. Haydarpaşa Mosque

0.3 MILES

The second-most important Gothic structure in North Nicosia after the Selimiye Mosque, this building began life as the 14th-century Church of St Catherine…

5. Colonial Law Courts

0.33 MILES

This finely preserved example of colonial architecture was built during British rule in 1901. Today it carries on with its original function as the North…

6. Kumarcılar Han

0.34 MILES

This caravanserai is a smaller version of the neighbouring Büyük Han and was built in the early 18th century. Today its courtyard hosts cafes, and the…

7. Lapidary Museum

0.34 MILES

Housed in a lovely 15th-century building, exhibits of the medieval-era stonework here include a varied collection of column capitals, stelae, and a Gothic…

8. Selimiye Mosque

0.35 MILES

North Nicosia’s most prominent landmark (also clearly visible from the southern half of the city), the Selimiye Mosque is a beautiful mongrel of a…