Great Inn is the largest roadside inn in Cyprus. It was built by the Ottomans in 1572, shortly after they expelled the Venetians. In the middle of the courtyard is a mosque and a fountain for religious ablutions.

The Great Inn was ordered built by Muzaffer Pasha, first ottoman governor. He got as far as the groundbreaking when he was executed. Politics was the cause, not construction. The roadside in was initially called the "New Inn." After the smaller Gambler's Inn was built it became the "Great Inn."

Under British colonial rule in 1878 the inn was restored and modified to serve as a prison. From 1903 to 1947 the place was put to its proper use as an inn. Between 1947 and 1962 it was low income housing.

The roadside inn typically has two floors and an inner courtyard. It is square shaped. The rooms of the inner courtyard have cross-vaulted colonnades. Altogether, there are 68 rooms on the two floors. The lower floor is used for commercial activity while the upper floor accommodates guests. There are ten shops behind the eastern colonnades.

The main entrance is on Asmaalti Square. There are hexagonal or octagonal shaped chimneys in each room. In the courtyard is a grave thought to be that of Muzaffer Pasha himself. This has been disputed, but who's to look?

By order of the Evkaf Administration all items sold in the Great Inn must be made by the tenants themselves. After the restorations of the 1990s, the inn has been reborn as an arts center featuring galleries and shops. In the courtyard are cafes and souvenir shops. If the Evkaf law still applies, tourists get the real thing. No Cypriot dolls made in China.

The Cyprus Archaeological Museum, also known simply as the Cyprus Museum, is the oldest and largest archaeological museum on the island. Located on Museum Street in central Nicosia, it stands as the country’s main repository of ancient heritage, housing the world’s most extensive collection of Cypriot antiquities-all excavated within Cyprus itself.

The Cyprus Museum was founded in 1882 during British rule, following a petition by locals concerned about the looting and smuggling of antiquities-most notably by U.S. Ambassador Luigi Palma di Cesnola, who removed over 35,000 artifacts. Initially housed in government offices and funded by private donations, the museum moved to its premises in 1889 and into its current neoclassical building in 1924, designed by N. Balanos and supervised by curator George H. Everett Jeffery.

The museum’s collections grew rapidly, benefiting from local and international excavations, including the notable Swedish Cyprus Expedition (1927–1931) led by Professor Einar Gjerstad. Key catalogs, such as the one compiled by Sir John Myres and Max Ohnefalsch-Richter in 1899, helped organize the growing inventory. By 1961, new galleries and facilities were added, supporting conservation and research.

Today, the Cyprus Museum spans fourteen exhibition halls, arranged chronologically and thematically from the Neolithic period to Roman times. While it remains the centerpiece for pre-independence finds, more recent archaeological discoveries are now distributed among Cyprus’s regional museums. Still, the museum continues to acquire major new pieces, maintaining its central role in the island’s cultural life.

Nicosia's Medieval Venetian Walls are one of the city's most visited attractions. Nicosia's original walls were built during the Middle Ages. However, the Republic of Venice rebuilt the walls during the 16th century. Today, the walls are one of the Eastern Mediterranean's best-preserved city walls.

The first walls were built in the 14th century. When Cyprus became part of the Republic of Venice in 1489, the Venetians planned new fortifications, but their plans were delayed. Ottoman expansion inspired the Venetians to rebuild the city's walls in 1567. The Venetians also added an 80-meter-wide (262-feet) moat.

The walls were still under construction when the Ottomans invaded in 1570 and breached Podocattaro Bastion's walls. The Ottomans left thousands of soldiers in Nicosia and repaired the walls.

Nicosia's Venetian walls are circular and have eleven bastions and three gates. The bastions were named after members of the Italian aristocracy who donated funds to build the walls. Today, the Podocattaro Bastion is home to the Liberty Monument.

The walls feature innovative building techniques, such as improving the gate's protection and the wall's ability to withstand cannon fire.

Today, the walls are a much-visited tourist attraction. In addition, the dry moat is now used for sports fields, car parking, exhibitions, and a sculpture exhibition.

The Leventis Municipal Museum features a large collection of Cypriot works. Visitors will see exhibits that feature archeological artifacts, medieval pottery, furniture, maps, jewels, and photographs.

The museum was established in 1984 and named after the Anastasios G. Leventis Foundation, the museum's principal donor. The museum opened in 1989 and showcases Nicosia's history from 3000 BC to today. The exhibits first focus on modern Nicosia and then lead visitors back to 3000 BC.

The British Period Gallery covers the time period from 1878 to 1960. The Ottoman Period Galleries focus on the years between 1570 and 1878 and the difficult Ottoman occupation.

The Venetian Period Galleries showcase the time between 1489 and 1570. Visitors will find a collection of Nicosia's ancient and modern maps in the Venetian Galleries. In the Byzantine and Medieval Galleries, visitors can see a collection of glazed vessels and other objects dating to the years 325-1489. The Nicosia Gallery features objects from 3900 BC to 325 AD.

In addition to the museum's permanent exhibitions, the museum features temporary exhibitions, educational programs, events, and lectures. The museum also has a shop that sells souvenirs, books, and gifts.

The museum offers free admission. Written museum guides are available in Greek, English, French, German, and Italian.

The Sharcolas Tower was originally called the Manglis Tower. It was built in 1959 by Costas Manglis and housed General Engineering and Hellenic Mining offices. The Shacolas Tower was Nicosia's tallest building until 1978.

The H&M Department store takes up the tower's first five floors. The 11th floor houses the Shacolas Tower Museum & Observatory.

The Shacolas Tower Museum & Observatory features exhibits of photographs and narratives describing Nicosia. In addition, visitors can listen to a taped history, available in several languages.

The museum features a beautiful view of the city. The view extends across the mountains and the rest of the island. In addition, guests can use binoculars and telescopes to get a closer look at different landmarks and attractions.

The museum's photos and descriptions are arranged so that visitors can look at the close-up photos and then look outside and see a bird's eye view of the referenced photo.

The museum also has a small shop that sells souvenirs.

Ledra Street is a popular shopping street named after the ancient kingdom of Ledra. In 1050 BC, Ledra was located where Nicosia is today. Ledra Street is a pedestrian-only street, so you can walk and shop without the noise and inconvenience of vehicle traffic.

The street was known as Murder Mile during the EOKA struggle in the 1950s. During this time, EOKA fighters targeted the British military along Ledra Street.

The buffer zone was established in 1974 to separate the northern Turkish-controlled part of Nicosia from the Greek-controlled southern part.

It used to have a barricade as the center of the United Nations buffer zone between the Turkish and Greek sides of the city. The barricade was removed in 2008, and now people can walk across the border.

Most of Ledra Street is on the Greek side. The Greek side features international brands, and the Turkish side has smaller boutiques. The Shacolas Tower is one of the tallest buildings in Nicosia and links to three arcades that are filled with shops and cafes.

Once it was the cathedral of Saint Sophia, then it became Ayasofya. As a cathedral it makes a fine mosque. The Selimiye Mosque is the main mosque of Nicosia and the oldest remaining Gothic church in Cyprus. The Lusignan church turned mosque is built over the bones of an earlier Byzantine church. Its interior dimensions are 217 feet by 69 feet.

The mosque can hold 2500 souls at a time. It is the largest historical building in town. It was the coronation church of the kings of Cyprus. The original Byzantine church was called Hagia Sophia or "Holy Wisdom." The existence of this early church is mentioned in an 11th century manuscript and some remains continue to be found.

The foundation stone for the Cathedral of Saint Sophia was laid in 1209. The Cathedral was completed in 1249 after the arrival on the island of King Louis IX of France. The Cathedral suffered some damage from earthquakes and Genoese raids. Saint Sophia's became the center of the city with the building of the Venetian walls.

In 1570, after a 50-day siege, the city fell to the Ottomans and the Cathedral became a mosque just in time for Friday prayers. The first imam climbed to the pulpit leaning on a sword used in the siege. This custom continued until 1949. In 1954 the mosque was officially named Selimiye Mosque in memory of Selim II, Ottoman ruler during the siege.