North Nicosia is the capital of the Turkish part of Cyprus. Together with Nicosia, it forms one city, but divided by a border wall that separates both communities.
The city was separated after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. It is inhabited by Turkish Cypriots, and by 2008 both parts of Nicosia were completely separated from each other. At present, contacts are possible via guarded border crossings.
Northern Nicosia is experiencing intense economic development in the 21st century, which entails a construction boom and a change in the character of buildings to modern ones. New office buildings are growing here, as well as accommodation for tourists.
All the time, however, you can see the Old Town surrounded by walls developed during the Venetian rule. Within it there is, among others The 13th-century Hagia Sophia basilica, turned into a mosque by the Turks, the 17th-century Arabahmet Mosque, in which a lock of Mohammed's hair, caravanserays and the Library of Sultan Mahmut are kept.
