13 Best Sights in Cyprus

Outside the city walls stands the Cyprus Museum, the world's largest collection of Cypriot antiquities and arguably the most interesting museum on the island. It houses archaeological displays ranging from Neolithic to Roman times, including a fascinating display of 2,000 terra-cotta figures from the 6th and 7th centuries BC, unearthed in Northern Cyprus in 1929, as well as three limestone lions and two sphinxes from approximately 475–400 BC, discovered south of Nicosia in 1997. Other highlights include a famous statue of Aphrodite of Soloi and beautiful mosaics. This stop is essential to an understanding of the island's ancient sites.

Don't miss Ayios Ioannis (St. John's Cathedral), built in 1662 within the courtyard of the archiepiscopal palace (Archbishop's Palace). Look for the 18th-century murals illustrating important moments in Cypriot religious history, including a depiction of the tomb of St. Barnabas.

In a 1960 neo-Byzantine-style wing of the archiepiscopal palace, the Archbishop Makarios III Cultural Foundation houses the Byzantine Museum. Its fine displays of icons span 1,000 years, and another six sections of the museum showcase the 6th-century Kanakaria Mosaics stolen from Northern Cyprus following the Turkish invasion in 1974, which were not returned until 1991.

The Ethnographic Museum, located in the 14th-century part of the archiepiscopal palace, has demonstrations of ancient weaving techniques and displays of ceramics and olive and wine presses.

Otherwise known as Pyli Ammochostou, the Famagusta Gate is now also used as a cultural center,for screenings and exhibitions, as a lecture hall, and as a theater.

In this museum village, 22 miles south of Nicosia, two rural 16th-century houses with exceptional woodwork and folk architecture are open for visits. They contain the household furnishings used a century ago, including tools and utensils. The House of Dimitri has been converted into a weaver's workshop and is also used as a scholars' guesthouse. Fikardou village in its entirety has been declared an Ancient Monument.

In the Greek sector Laiki Yitonia, at the southern edge of the Old City, is an area of winding alleys and traditional architecture that underwent a renovation to restore its historic charm. Among its important sites is the Archbishopric, which has several museums. Tavernas, cafés, and craft workshops line the shaded, cobbled streets. Just to the west lies Ledra street, where modern shops alternate with yet more crafts shops. Parallel to this is Onasagorou street, which has come alive with the opening of a number of eclectic bars and bistro-type restaurants and cafés, creating a vibrant old-world atmosphere.

This museum traces the city's history from 3000 BC to the present, with exhibits on crafts and daily life. The permanent exhibition includes important artifacts, as well as an impressive collection of medieval and modern maps illustrating Nicosia's progression, dating from the birth of the region to now.

The lush Municipal Gardens are a well-maintained oasis of greenery in the city, across from the Cyprus Museum.

The neoclassical Municipal Theater seats 1,200 people and stages events throughout the year, including Greek-language dramas and concerts.

The Museum of the National Struggle has dramatic displays of the 1955 to 1959 Cypriot campaigns against the British.

Housed in the industrial setting of a former power plant, this compact contemporary art museum displays paintings, videos, sculptures, photography, and installations from up-and-coming (as well as established) Cypriot and European artists. Best of all, admission is free, and it's open until 11 pm most days of the week. There's also a hip restaurant out back with a leafy courtyard where you can hang with Nicosia's cool crowd.

Head north to visit the tiny Greek Orthodox Tripiotis church, which dates from 1690 and is decorated with an ornately carved golden iconostasis and silver-covered icons.