Nicosia (all images)

Nicosia, also known as Lefkoşa, Lefkosia or Λευκωσία, is the divided capital of Cyprus. The northern part is the capital of Northern Cyprus, a state only recognised by Turkey, while the southern part is the capital of southrn Cyprus. With a total of 320000 inhabitants in the motropolitan areas of north and south, it's the largest city on Cyprus.
The area of Nicosia has been inhabited since 2500 BC. Nicosia became the capital of Cyprus in 965 AD when it joined again the Byzantine empire. The historical core of Nicosia is surrounded by a circle of Venetian walls. Inside, Ledra street crosses the old town from south to north. The south is considerable cleaner and better developed than the north, while the north has more tourist attractions than the south.