nicosia history — nicosia history — New street signs offer a glimpse into Nicosia’s history, showcasing its cultural, historical, and political personalities. Fifty-six signs have been installed around the old town, with plans to extend this initiative to a total of 150 streets.
Photo: cyprus-mail.com
Nicosia history: Highlighting Nicosia’s Heritage
The Nicosia tourism board, known as Etap, is spearheading this project, which aims to enhance the historical narrative of the capital through informative signage. Each sign features brief texts explaining the origin and significance of the street names, alongside a QR code linking to a dedicated website for further exploration.
Photo: cyprus-mail.com
Starting Point: Lellos Demetriades Square
The initiative commenced at Lellos Demetriades Square, where a plaque commemorates the city’s longest-serving mayor, who held office from 1971 to 2001, barring a brief interruption in 1974. “He was one of the reformers of the capital,” remarked Sotiris Christoforou from Etap, reflecting on the mayor’s impactful legacy.
Researching Street Names
Christoforou and his colleague, Sofia Kousioumi, took on the task of researching the streets included in this project. They faced challenges as most street names in the city centre were established in the 1970s and 80s, often without clear documentation. “This was a big challenge,” said Christoforou, lamenting the absence of municipal council minutes that could explain the naming decisions.
Historical Figures and Their Streets
Among the streets highlighted is Diogenous Street, named after the ancient philosopher from the Cynic School of Athens, and Aeschylus Street, honouring the father of Greek tragedy. Antalya Street pays tribute to a significant port in Asia Minor. These names encapsulate the city’s rich historical tapestry.
Future Extensions and Renovations
The new street signs will also be installed on Ledra and Onasagorou streets, where existing signs will be replaced after upcoming renovation work. Etap is also considering a broader expansion of this initiative to include other historic districts of Nicosia.
A Broader Cultural Initiative
In tandem with the street sign project, Etap has announced a catalogue of all busts and statues within the old city walls. This collaboration with the Cyens research centre aims to provide historical context and explanatory texts for each work, mirroring the street mapping effort. This additional project is expected to be completed by November.
