Nicosia: An Exhibition at the Old Town Hall

Early on Sunday, Nicosia was brimming with people in the morning sunshine. I made my way to the historic old town hall to view an exhibition organised by the Press and Information Office.

At the entrance, there were black and white photographs of monumental buildings surrounding Nicosia and short written explanations describing them- bastions, gates, churches, all encompassing what was once medieval Nicosia.

An informative leaflet gave a detailed account of the period and the exhibition centred on three heroines, whose lives were shattered following the Ottoman conquest of the island in 1570. They were Helena Denores Synglitikou, Lucretia Lasse and Katerina Flangi, all from prominent, well-established families of that time and victims of the Ottoman conquest of Nicosia.

Helena Denores was taken into captivity and after her release, fled to Venice. Lucretia Lasse lived as a slave for twenty years and fled to Venice after she was freed. Katerina Flangi was killed along with other members of her family. According to her father, who later fled to the West, his teenage daughter Katerina, cut her long hair, dressed in men's clothes and fought against the enemy.

The film presenting the three heroines was particularly impressive, bringing to life the struggles of these three women and allowing the viewer to clearly imagine what they went through.

As the leaflet explains, "With the conquest of Cyprus by the Ottomans in 1570-1571, not only did the last bastion of Christianity in the East fall, but it also marked the departure of many Cypriots, those who survived, of course, to Venice and other cities in Italy, as well as to the Venetian-ruled Greek regions. Many of them arrived in Venice and elsewhere penniless and destitute. Some managed not only to get back on their feet but also to become powerful and wealthy through trade or other lucrative activities and to benefit their small homeland, which had become a province of the then vast Ottoman Empire."

The old town hall was a suitable backdrop for this exhibition, which runs until the end of June. In fact, the old town hall itself has a colourful past. Built in 1930, the building originally operated as a family cabaret known as 'Luna Park ' where families gathered for dance shows. 

Outside in the garden is the bust of the mayor Themistokli Dervis, who served as mayor for a total of 27 years. A physician by trade, his dual identity as "doctor-mayor" left a lasting mark on the city. Known for his humour and bluntness, he was regarded as a deeply honest and effective administrator. He operated his private clinic out of his family home on Ippokratous Street, which now houses the Leventis Municipal Museum.

Also on display outside is the "Poet" a massive glass sculpture by the renowned Greek artist Costas Varotsos (1983).

Nicosia: Three Gates, Eleven Bastions

The threat of Ottoman expansion meant that Cyprus was in danger during the Venetian control of the island. In order to tighten control and security, Venice sent the military architect and engineer Giulio Savorgnano to Cyprus to build a new fortification around Nicosia.

Built between 1567 and 1570, the gates and bastions served as critical defence against an imminent Ottoman invasion.

The three gates represent a division of the island's geography. Each gate was named for and directed toward a major regional destination (Kyrenia, Paphos, Famagusta).

Famagusta Gate (Porta Giuliana) is the largest and most imposing of the three original entrances to the old city of Nicosia. It was named Porta Giuliana to honour Savorgnano.

Paphos Gate (Porta San Domenico) is the smallest gate and still retains its original wooden doors. It is named after the nearby Lusignan Abbey of San Domenico, which was destroyed during the wall's construction.

Kyrenia Gate is located in northern Nicosia. It was originally named Porta del Proveditore after the Venetian governor Francesco Barbaro. The Ottomans renamed it "Edirne Gate" and added a second domed guard house for extra security. They also inscribed verses from the Quran on the northern face, praising Allah as the "Opener of Gates" (1821).

To accommodate modern traffic, the British demolished sections of the city wall on either side of the gate, leaving the structure isolated in the middle of the dual carriageway. The inscriptions marked "1931" and "GVRI" (George V Rex et Imperator). The gate is unique for displaying markers from three different empires, Venetian Latin, Ottoman Arabic and British English.

The three gates reflect the Renaissance 'Ideal City' philosophy which valued geometric perfection and balance. 

The eleven bastions are split between the northern and southern parts of divided Nicosia, with one, the Flatro Bastion, split between both sides and is occupied by the United Nations. The number eleven was strategic and symbolic and reflects the eleven administrative districts (or contrade) of Cyprus at the time. They form a pentagonal, heart shape which was a hallmark of Renaissance military architecture. They allowed for overlapping fields of fire to better protect against artillery and cannon fire. They replaced the older, larger Frankish walls that wouldn't be able to be defended. They were named after eleven noble families who sponsored their construction. The Pedieos River was diverted into a new moat.