A Day in Nicosia, Cyprus

On our way to Cairo for a ten-day tour with the Albright Institute, Sten and I spent a couple of nights and one day in Nicosia, Cyprus. I have only been in the airport town of Larnaca, an hour or less from Nicosia, for a stopover of a couple of hours several years ago,  so I was happy to get a little feel for the city. First thing I noticed, they drive on the left side of the road. We stayed at the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute -- CAARI, a short walk from the old city of Nicosia, which is where we spent most of our day. The old city is walled.

In the photo above, you'll notice an extension of the wall with barbed wire. This is because Nicosia holds the unhappy title of the last divided capital city in the world. The division of Cyprus between the Greeks and the Turks runs right through Nicosia's old city. It isn't done in a very pretty way for the most part either. The barrels and rolled barbed wire on top mark the barrier.

But despite the division, people and animals go on with their daily lives, just doing the next thing they need to do. Like the next load of wash,

or taking a nap in the sun. 

The markets still sell interesting things.

People continue to try to find a connection with the Divine.

I found these educational signs outside the mosque very interesting.

And I found this statue or sculpture made of pieces of window glass fascinating.

Here's a closeup of one of the legs.

At the Archaeology Museum, this caught my eye. This entire cache of clay figures was found in situ just as they are displayed. Can you imagine finding something like that?

The Municipal Museum had a wonderful display about the history of Cyprus over the ages. I focused my photographs on scenes from their display that featured fiber arts. The first are wood block printed fabrics with their print blocks.

Then fiber spun for weaving.

Lace making.

And finally, embroidery.

Amidst our walking and sight-seeing, we came across the 400-year-old Hamam Omerye. A hamam is  a Turkish bath -- actually it's similar to a sauna but also has various other spa and massage treatments available and is a place for relaxation and cleansing. I made an appointment for a massage which was the perfect ending to a very interesting day.

I wish the people of Cyprus and all of us peace.