Note that Senior Service and Benson and Hedges doesn't
seem to
translate into Turkish!
This old building (Buyuk Khan) used to be a
hotel, but was to become a prison under British Occupation. It's now a craft
centre and somewhere to have a cup of tea or coffee.
Here is a satellite picture of part of Nicosia
within the walls, you can see the
building just below centre. (It's about a 270 Kbyte picture.)
The municipal Market is in almost the dead centre of
Nicosia.
But since 1974 it is in the Turkish sector. You can see
its big red roof just below centre of the satellite picture above.
By way of contrast, the former great French cathedral of
St Sophia is now the Selimiye Mosque. It was begun in 1209 under the first
Latin archbishop Thierry reaching completion in the 14th century. Following
the conquest of 1570, the Turks converted it into the mosque it is today.
To the left is the area where Muslims wash their feet
before entering.
In my brief visit, I follow the red line of
paint or bricks around the tourist trail. Once again, it's the old crumbly
bits that catch my attention.
A glimpse of the Ledra Palace hotel above precedes
a sad and sombre story of a lady heroine of the Greek Cypriots:
Efrosini Proestoy.
Back in the Greek Cypriot side, Christmas decorations are
everywhere. More than I expected.
There are lots of 'posh' designer outlets and LOADS of
clothes shops in Nicosia.
Shopping
heaven. All seemed more relaxed than on previous visits.
