Christakis

Nicosia (Lefkosia)

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This rough-and-ready canteen across from the bus station buzzes with locals tucking into cheap and cheerful souvlaki, grilled to perfection. A mixed grill with three skewers of meat, sheftalia (grilled sausages wrapped in caul fat), salad and pitta sets you back €7. Extra sides of griddled haloumi (hellim in Turkish) and olive-doused artichokes start from €1.

On a sunny day, seating spills out onto the pavement and everyone from builders on a lunch break to suited-up business people pull up a pew.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Zenobia ship wreck near Paphos, Cyprus ; Shutterstock ID 471124055; purchase_order: 65050; job: ; client: ; other: 471124055

    Zenobia

    24.88 MILES

    For divers, the one reason to come to Larnaka is to explore the Zenobia, a Swedish-built cargo ship that sank just off the coast of Larnaka in 1980…

  • St. Hilarion Castle in Kyrenia, North Cyprus.

    St Hilarion Castle

    10.78 MILES

    The full fairy-tale outline of St Hilarion Castle only becomes apparent once you’re directly beneath it. The stone walls and half-ruined buildings blend…

  • Selimiye Mosque in Nicosia, Northern Cyprus.

    Selimiye Mosque

    0.47 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…

  • Interior view of Panagia Forviotissa (Asinou), a Christian church of the beginning of the 12th century.

    Panagia Forviotissa

    23.48 MILES

    This Unesco-listed church is in a stunning setting on the perimeter of the Adelfi Forest 4km southwest of Nikitari village. Dedicated to the Virgin of …

  • Bridge and Pond at the Troodos Botanical Gardens in the summer.

    Troödos Botanical Gardens

    28.61 MILES

    Part of the excellent Troödos Geopark, this is a small but well-laid-out botanical garden with a lily pond and other water features, including a tumbling…

  • North Cyprus, Kyrenia, Kyrenia Castle and Harbour

    Kyrenia Castle

    11.94 MILES

    If the grand fortifications of Kyrenia Castle could talk, they could sure tell some tales. The castle was first built by the Byzantines – possibly over…

  • Detail from the iconostasis (baroque wood carving), Church of St Lazarus (Agios Lazaros) (built in the 9th century and rebuilt in the 17th century), Larnaca, Cyprus.

    Agios Lazaros

    23.77 MILES

    This 9th-century church is dedicated to Lazarus of Bethany, whom Jesus is said to have resurrected four days after his death. The church itself is an…

  • 16th century Venetian walls of Nicosia, Cyprus; Shutterstock ID 132634124; Your name (First / Last): Brana V; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Nicosia destination page

    Venetian Walls

    0.7 MILES

    The Venetian walls form a border around the Old City and are so unusual that, once seen on a map, you’ll never forget the odd snowflake-like shape.

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Nearby Nicosia (Lefkosia) attractions

1. AG Leventis Gallery

0.14 MILES

Located just outside the Old City, this art museum features three collections displaying European paintings and sculpture from the 16th to the 20th…

2. Shacolas Tower Observatory

0.14 MILES

Shacolas Tower Observatory provides a superb vantage point across the city and the mountain range beyond. Boards below each window point out and provide…

3. Leventis Municipal Museum

0.15 MILES

The best place in town to get to grips with Nicosia's rich and convoluted history. The permanent collection inside this handsome neoclassical mansion…

4. Laïki Yitonia

0.15 MILES

Meaning ‘Popular Neighbourhood’, Laïki Yitonia was restored after serving for many years as an area for painted ladies and dodgy merchants. This tiny…

5. Cyprus Classic Motorcycle Museum

0.18 MILES

The owner of this private museum is more than happy to chat extensively about his 150-plus bike collection. It may just bring out your inner Hell’s Angel …

6. Cyprus Museum

0.19 MILES

Just outside the Old City walls, this excellent museum houses the island's most important collection of archaeological finds. Highlights include Hall 11's…

7. Kasteliotissa

0.2 MILES

Opposite Pafos Gate, this medieval-era vaulted hall is thought to have been built in the 14th century. Its original function has never been confirmed but…

8. Church of Archangelos Michail

0.2 MILES

This domed church was built in 1695 and is thought to have replaced an earlier Gothic church on the same site. The exterior is built in Franco-Byzantine…