Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
2
City Walk
Stepping Back in Time
START
HAYDARPASHA MOSQUE
FINISH
LEDRA ST CROSSING
DISTANCE
4KM; APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS
Our self-paced walking tour starts at
1
Haydarpasha Mosque
, originally the 14th-century Church of St Catherine.
Close by you'll find the former Lusignan Church of Agia Sofia, now the
2
Selimiye Mosque
,
incongruous with its
soaring minarets added after the Ottoman conquest.
Continue along Araşta Sokak towards the magnificent
3
Bedesten
,
across the street from the lively municipal
market, the
4
Belediye Pazarı
. Carry on down Araşta Sokak to the
5
Büyük Hammam
then head north to see
magnificent Turkish caravanserai at the
6
Büyük Han
where you can peruse the craft shops and enjoy some re-
freshment.
Head west along Idadi and Mecidiye Sokak, and make for the main square of
7
Atatürk Meydanı
, from where
it's a short stroll north along Girne Caddesi to the Mevlevi Tekke, originally home of the whirling dervishes but
Walk back down Girne Caddesi and turn right into Beliğ Paşa Sokak, in the lovely Arabahmet neighbourhood,
where you can visit the
9
Dervish Pasha Museum
, a small ethnographical collection housed in an old Turkish
mansion. Follow Beliğ Paşa Sokak and turn left into Salahi Şevket Sokak, checking out the street life and the ren-
ovated or dilapidated old houses.
At the end of Salahi Şevket Sokak, you'll spot the small Yiğitler Park that sits atop the
a
Roccas (Kaytazağa)
Bastion
. While crossing is easy now this was the only point along the whole of the Green Line where Turkish and
Greek Cypriots could see each other at close quarters.
From here, trace your way along the Green Line on Baf Caddesi, noting the empty barrels and eerie atmosphere
of the frontier, to surface at the
b
Ledra St crossing
.
5
Eating
North Nicosia's eating scene is varied, with small kebab houses,
meyhane
(taverns), tradi-
tional restaurants, and chic, modern eateries. Lunchtime eating offers more choice in the
Old City which, post sunset, grows very quiet and a little dark, so there aren't so many op-
tions. In the New City, Mehmet Akif Caddesi has several good restaurant choices for both
lunch and dinner.
