The Only City to Serve as the Capital of Two States: Nicosia (Cyprus Travel Notes Part 2)

25 March 2026: We set off for Nicosia at around 9 am. This is a strategic city that has retained its capital status for longer than Istanbul. It first attained capital status in the late 12th century, during the Lusignan (French) period. It continued to serve as the capital when the Ottomans took control in 1571 and the British in 1878. When the Republic of Cyprus was established in 1960, Nicosia once again became the capital. Following the de facto division of the island in 1974, the city was split, with one half serving as the capital of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the other half, Southern Nicosia, continuing as the capital of the Republic of Cyprus. We began our tour by paying our respects to the founding President of the TRNC.

Republic Park: Rauf Raif Denktaş Memorial Tomb and Museum

Rauf Denktaş (may his soul rest in peace), who passed away on 13 January 2012, was, as you know, a founding leader who, throughout his life synonymous with Northern Cyprus, never compromised on the principles he believed in. He served as President for a total of 21 years, 5 months and 9 days, from 1983 to 2005. It is well known that on 27 November 1948, at the first rally organised by the Turkish Cypriots (the venue we are heading to next), he delivered a speech alongside Fazıl Küçük. At the park’s entrance, a flag fluttering atop a massive white pillar greeted us. The Turkish Resistance Organisation Monument—surrounded by the units that fought alongside its symbols—stood there; we took group photos and then headed towards Denktaş’s grave, some 150 metres to the south. In 1955, he guided the resistance of the Turkish Cypriots against Enosis and EOKA, and on 1 August 1958, he founded the Turkish Resistance Organisation (TMT) with his comrades. We waited for his son, Raif Denktaş, as we had arrived early; we explored the area in detail and recited prayers afterwards. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XxlhgxdSnE4

The Memorial Tomb is situated on the ceremony ground and ramp, aligned perpendicular to the Qibla direction and positioned along the axis of Baf, Denktaş’s birthplace. He balanced his resolute stance on equitable sharing between communities—both on the island and in international relations—with the modest and tranquil way of life inherent to his homeland. In this sense, the RRD Memorial and Museum harmonises a powerful abstract symbolism within a modest natural setting; a human scale alongside sharp linearity; the ceremonial nature representing the state with the spatiality of daily life; political and artistic perspectives; all within a distinct architectural and landscape design. This is the information provided by those who prepared the project. One feels a bit odd upon seeing the ‘Bird Fountain’ where birds can drink; the days we visited were very rainy, and the portico and fountain, which shelter visitors from the rain and the summer heat reaching fifty degrees, are a marvellous design.

Entry to the Nicosia Walls via the Kyrenia Gate

Surrounding historic Nicosia, there are 11 towers; we entered the old town centre through the Kyrenia Gate, the northernmost of the walls. The other surviving gates are Famagusta and Baf.

The walls, regarded as a masterpiece by the 16th-century Venetian architect-engineer Giulio Savorgnan, were 4.8 kilometres long and featured eleven towers and three entrance gates. Kyrenia Gate was renovated by us in the 19th century. In 1931, the surrounding walls were demolished by the British to make way for a road, and they also inscribed their symbols on this historic gate. These walls are said to be among the finest examples of the Renaissance period in the Eastern Mediterranean. We then proceeded to the nearby Mevlevi Lodge.

Nicosia Mevlevi Lodge:

Sending greetings to my dear friend, M. Veysi Dörtbudak, I entered through the main entrance gate of the lodge, which is built of cut stone and features a low arch. Above the entrance gate to the lodge is inscribed the phrase: ‘O Hazreti Mevlana. Written by Ahmet Burhanettin’. Beyond the gate lies an L-shaped courtyard, where tombstones—mostly from the historic Kyrenia Gate Cemetery—and inscriptions from structures that have not survived to the present day are on display. Through the low-arched entrance gate on the eastern side of the courtyard, one enters the square-plan semahane.

This Mevlevi lodge was founded in 1593 in North Nicosia, the capital of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, by Arab Ahmet Pasha, one of the conquerors of Cyprus. The semahane and tomb sections have survived to the present day and are used as the Mevlevi-Tekke Culture Museum. The Mevlevi Lodge near Girne Gate is one of the most significant structures from the Ottoman period in Cyprus. Throughout its history, the Mevlevi Lodge served as a stopping point for pilgrims travelling to Mecca by ship; through the people it nurtured and the services it provided, it became one of the key institutions in the history of the Turkish Cypriots. It ceased to function after 1954. Its rooms were subsequently used as a Turkish Children’s Home. Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots jointly established the Republic of Cyprus, and Fazıl Küçük was its first vice-president. Alongside Denktaş, he was one of the leaders of the Turkish struggle for existence, freedom and independence.

The museum apparently displays Küçük’s historical documents and personal effects, but I didn’t go inside (presumably due to old age and fatigue)

· Samanbahçe Houses:

One of the first social housing projects aimed at the local population struggling to make ends meet, it is a charming little place. The Samanbahçe Houses take their name from a garden belonging to Şaban Pasha, which was used to meet the vegetable and fruit needs of residents living in the historic Old City area. Pure white houses, with flowers in front. Built in a terraced layout, each house was designed to be an exact replica of the next. They measure 85 m² and were constructed using mudbrick. The roofs were built using wooden beams and thatch. The floors are covered with traditional round tiles. Each house has two rooms opening onto a living room and a small inner courtyard; as people were living there, we couldn’t go inside, so we wandered quietly through the streets.

And the Grand Han: A Place to Rest

Cyprus’s largest han; right next to it is the Kumarcılar Han, where there is no activity. Both are located in Asmaaltı Square. We sat in a building reflecting the general characteristics of Ottoman caravanserai architecture—a two-storey structure supported by arcades with pointed arches—where we had tea and coffee and rested. In the centre of the courtyard stands a pavilion mosque; those who had performed ablutions went out to pray. Although Ottoman caravanserais typically have a single entrance gate, it is interesting that the Great Han has two. Following Cyprus’s transfer to British administration in 1878, it was converted into a prison, a status it retained until 1903. After serving as a caravanserai in accordance with its original purpose between 1903 and 1947, it was subsequently let to low-income families, with each room accommodating a single household. It took on its current form following the restoration completed in 2002. We spent quite a long time here; I went out to explore the market and visited the nearby Selimiye Mosque. Then I returned to the Han, as we were due to visit it as a group.

Nicosia Selimiye Mosque

It is also known as the Hagia Sophia Mosque, as it was converted from the Catholic Hagia Sophia (Sophia) Cathedral. It served as the archbishop’s church during the Byzantine period. It is the largest and oldest surviving Gothic church in Cyprus and is said to be the largest of its kind built in the Eastern Mediterranean. This is one of the places that illustrates just how dangerous sectarian conflicts can be. For in 1359, the Papal representative in Cyprus, Peter Thomas, gathered all the Greek Orthodox priests of Cyprus in the cathedral, imprisoned them, and began preaching to try to convert them from their faith, which was identified with their sect. The sound of shouts coming from the cathedral caused a large crowd to gather outside; shortly afterwards, a riot broke out demanding the priests’ release, and the cathedral’s doors were set alight.

It had served as the coronation church for the Lusignan kings of Cyprus. Two minarets were added, adapting the building’s architecture to that of a mosque, and the first Friday prayer was performed with Lala Mustafa Pasha. The Aziziye Gate opened onto the east side of the cathedral, which was converted into a two-door place of worship. The name Selimiye was given much later (1954). It was named ‘Selimiye Mosque’ in honour of Sultan Selim II, the Ottoman sultan who conquered Cyprus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgnvzoNAvsg

They celebrate 25 March as a festival, marking the day they launched their uprising against the Ottomans in the Peloponnese in 1821. I am also taking a course on the philosophy of history during this period, we discuss reading events and phenomena from different perspectives, how historical data is transmitted by whom, the possibility of interpreting the same event in vastly different ways, the practice of transposing a particular interpretation directly into the present (historicism), and the method of applying contemporary concepts to the past to generate solutions (Whig/modernist) approaches. Considering that the understanding of history taught is what the victors present as orthodox and what the vanquished describe as heretical, can we say that ‘in this path, the victor is deemed the vanquished’? Why shouldn’t Option 3 be possible? Why is Gadamer’s ‘fusion of horizons’ important?

On the evening of 25 March, I spoke about the economic and political significance of the Eastern Mediterranean, the powers dominating the island, and the Ottoman millet system—that is, the implementation of a pluralistic system designed to enable different religious and sectarian visions to coexist, as I had mentioned in the first article, if you recall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuq25iPclLQ&t=4s

Today, on the day they celebrate as a festival, we decided to visit the villages where the Greeks committed massacres (Muratağa, Sandallar, Atlılar) and the massacre pit, as well as Yavuz Landing Beach and the Karaoğlan Martyrs’ Memorial tomorrow (26 March 2026). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2e_y3nIJs8

The Kyrenia Coast Where the Cyprus Operation Began and the Turkish Martyrs’ Cemeteries

Muratağa - Sandallar Martyrs’ Cemetery

We visited the village where the martyrs, killed by Greek Cypriot security forces and the EOKA terrorist organisation on 14 August 1974, were buried, first thing in the morning. This was because the mass grave in the village of Atlılar had been uncovered on 20 August 1974.

The Muratağa-Sandallar and Atlılar Massacres were cited as one of the reasons for the Turkish Armed Forces carrying out the second phase of the Cyprus Peace Operation. In the massacre, 126 unarmed Turks—ranging in age from a 16-day-old infant to a 95-year-old—were killed without distinction of age, gender or status. We visited the memorial at the massacre pit where 89 defenceless Turkish compatriots, who were brutally massacred en masse, were lined up and shot to death, and recited the Fatiha.

Girne Halil İbrahim Karaoğlanoğlu Martyrs’ Cemetery

A memorial cemetery erected by Turkey in memory of the Turkish Armed Forces soldiers (8 officers, 5 non-commissioned officers, and 58 privates and corporals, totalling 71) who were martyred on the first day of the Cyprus Operation. The two main columns at the entrance to the memorial are said to represent the gateway to Turkey, which is regarded by Turkish Cypriots as their motherland. The statues on the western side represent the TRNC, whilst those on the eastern side represent Turkey. The space between these two statues symbolises a window opening onto Turkey. The fact that the statues stand on four separate bases signifies that the Peace Operation was completed within four days. As the class of 1985, we laid a wreath here, observed a moment of silence and recited the Fatiha. The memorial is named after the commander of the Turkish Armed Forces regiment that was the first to land in Cyprus during the Cyprus Operation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBuQYJGRAas

Museum of Peace and Freedom

This is located right next to the Karaoğlan Martyrs’ Memorial. In the open area between the two, armoured vehicles (of Soviet manufacture) and heavy weapons abandoned by the Greek National Guard during the Peace Operation are on display.

Infantry Senior Colonel İbrahim Karaoğlanoğlu, Commander of the 50th Infantry Regiment; Air Liaison Officer Pilot Major Fehmi Ercan (after whom Nicosia Airport is named); and Private Mustafa Girgin were martyred at the entrance to the house used as a headquarters on the night of 20 July 1974, a turning point in the history of the Turkish Cypriot struggle. For this reason, the house, which has acquired the status of a historical document, was converted into a museum to immortalise the Cyprus Peace Operation and opened as the Peace and Freedom Museum on the second anniversary of the operation. Here, it is possible to view the process between the two communities up to 1974, along with the operations carried out, accompanied by maps.

On the ground floor of the building, you can see the events that necessitated the 1974 Peace Operation, presented through re-enactments within the historical context. Weapons captured during the operation are also on display here. Uniforms belonging to the late Karaoğlanoğlu and Ercan are also exhibited. With the inscription ‘May our memory wither if we forget’, there is a commemorative panel listing the names of the soldiers and civilians who fell as martyrs during the Cyprus Peace Operation.

Girne Bellapais: Beylerbeyi Church of Our Lady Clad in White

Actually, this was the first place we visited in the morning, but in keeping with the significance of the day, I placed the memorials—our next destination—at the top of the list. According to our guide, it was built on foundations dating back to the Roman period in the 12th century. Architecturally, the structure is in the Gothic style, comprising additions made during the Middle Ages, and is considered a distinguished example of this style.

It was founded by Catholic monks (Augustinians) who fled Jerusalem in 1187 following the Muslim conquest of the city. When I asked why the church is called the ‘Church of Our Lady of the White Robe’ given that the order’s monks typically wear black, they explained that they had moved here following the capture of Jerusalem and that they symbolised peace. It was the Lusignans who transformed it into its current form.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vqpK8kO0xQ&t=22s

I’ll take this opportunity to include the link to the short video I filmed at the Monastery of Saint Barnabas and in the city of Salamis in my first post.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJmVnqvvLn8&t=17s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYvknTmaGWE

There are arcades surrounding the courtyard and a refectory area, as well as a basement—referred to as a dungeon—which is quite a spacious area with small windows overlooking the sea. At first, I thought this was a ‘hermitage’. It turns out this order is known as a mendicant order; they claim that human nature is corrupted by sin and in need of divine assistance, and they argue that truth lies within the human being and in God. They are said to be among the mendicant orders, such as the Augustinians, Dominicans and Franciscans, meaning they live within the community and preach rather than secluding themselves in a monastery.

They embraced the principles of prayer, poverty and communal life. That dungeon served as a sort of purification place for the process of severing the candidates for the clergy from all family and worldly ties. So, looking at their principles, I wondered if there were any such religious groups in Turkey; of course there aren’t, you might ask, what’s the connection? After the Ottoman conquest of Cyprus, the monastery was handed over to the Cyprus Orthodox Church. Following the 1974 Peace Operation, when the Greeks migrated to the southern part of the island, Bellapais Monastery came under the protection of the Department of Antiquities and Museums.

Among the exterior reliefs, which are considered fine examples of Gothic stonework, figures such as a man carrying a ladder on his back, a man between two mermaids, a woman reading a book, a man being attacked by two wild animals, a woman with a rosary, a man with a shield beneath a pear tree bearing a cat and a monkey on its branches, and a priest in a cloak stand out. It is believed that the column in the centre of the council chamber originated from an early Byzantine church.

The Only City to Have Served as Capital to Two States: Nicosia

26 March 2026: We set off for Nicosia around 9 am. This is a strategic city that has retained its capital status for longer than Istanbul. This is because it first attained capital status in the late 12th century, during the Lusignan (French) period. It continued to serve as the capital when the Ottomans took control in 1571 and the British in 1878. When the Republic of Cyprus was established in 1960, Nicosia once again became the capital. After the island was effectively divided in 1974, the city was split, with one half serving as the capital of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the other half, Southern Nicosia, continuing as the capital of the Republic of Cyprus. We began our tour by paying our respects to the founding President of the TRNC.

The Tomb of Omar (Kyrenia: The Seven Sleepers)

When our guide, our colleague (who mentioned he was a teacher), Mr Cem, said he would take us to a charming white building on the coast of Çatalköy known as the Tomb or Tekke of Omar, a friend asked, ‘What’s the connection with the Tomb of Omar?’

Hz. Ömer, who was the commander of a naval unit in Muawiya’s Army in the 7th century AD, came to this region of the island with his soldiers; in the ensuing battle, he and six of his men were martyred by local Byzantine soldiers, and their bodies were placed in coffins and buried in a cave here. It was believed that the sea water had preserved the bodies to a significant extent. When we arrived on the island in 1571, these graves were discovered, the remains were removed from the cave and reburied at their current location.

The mausoleum has a charming little mosque and graves; you can walk out into the garden, wander around and head to the cave. There, my brother Melih went inside, and I took his photo, warning him to be careful of the wet floor. A charming little mosque has been built on the hill above the mausoleum, and the area has become a wonderful spot for relaxation and religious tourism by the sea, complete with walking trails and seating areas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73WFY7d5U1g

There’s also a café run by the council; we sat there, had a drink and a chat. We’d previously discussed approaches to interpreting historical facts and events; in the ‘History of Turkish Thought’ (30 March 2026) and philosophy of history classes, we discussed the trip with the students.

I had said that I do not disclose to the public any matter I have not discussed with you in the History of Turkish Thought, and I had already sent the text of the talk to the young people. In the Philosophy of History class, we also focused a little on the ‘Seven Sleepers’ and the ‘Ashab-ı Kehf’ mentioned in the Qur’an and Christian sources.

As you know, the Cave of the Companions of the Cave (The Seven Sleepers) is said to exist in over 30 locations worldwide (Spain, Algeria, Jordan, etc.). The sites in the Afşin (Kahramanmaraş), Tarsus (Mersin) and Ephesus (İzmir) regions of Turkey are somewhat more popular, from the perspective of religious tourism. I told the young people, ‘Let’s turn to our conception of the Prophet Omar.’ We focused on Omar ibn Abdulaziz, the second caliph, who is presented as a symbol of justice. We analysed the incident of Caliph Omar’s martyrdom using the 5W1H framework. As recorded in the sources, whilst leading the morning prayer in Medina, he was stabbed by the Persian slave Abu Lu’lu’a (Firuz al-Nihawandi) and passed away a few days later. Where, how and by whom it happened is clear. So, I asked, ‘Why?’ Abu Lu’lu’a, a slave of Mugīre b. Shu’ba and a man loyal to the state, had complained that the daily tribute/tax (2 dirhams) he paid to his master was too high and demanded it be reduced.

Upon learning that the slave possessed skills such as blacksmithing and carpentry, Caliph Umar decided that the tax was not excessive and rejected the request. This request and its rejection, which resulted in murder, serve as a specific example of the economic policy of the time. Enraged by this rejection, Abu Lu’lu’a stabbed Caliph Umar during the morning prayer and then committed suicide. Ubaydullah, the son of Caliph Umar, killed Hurmuzan—whom he suspected of being linked to the assassin—along with another Zoroastrian slave and the assassin’s young daughter following his father’s murder. This matter came to the fore during the reign of Uthman; whilst Ali argued for Ubeydullah’s execution (qisas), some Companions contended that a man whose father had recently died might commit such an error (including the killing of a young girl). Ultimately, Uthman decided that Ubeydullah should pay blood money (diyya) rather than face qisas.

Continuing with the example of Caliph Umar, we discussed the sources regarding the tension with Fatima and whether the miscarriage was caused by an assault. There is no mention of such an incident in Sunni sources, but it is present in Shia sources; we held discussions on how to interpret this event. Six months after the passing of the Prophet—that is, her father—Fatima passed away; her funeral was held at night with only a few people present. Some time later, Umar, who was over 50 years old, married Umm Gulsum, the daughter of Ali and Fatima (aged 11–13), and had two children with her. Sources indicate that this was done to establish kinship with the Ahl al-Bayt and to strengthen Islamic solidarity. Note that this isn’t merely a matter of ‘we went, we saw, we returned’; just as it was a topic of discussion in the theology lectures in Çorum, we are now bringing this text into the public sphere.

Returning to the trip, we were quite tired by then; everyone is over 60, thank God we’re in good shape, but we returned to the hotel saying we had a meeting anyway—I’d already provided information in the first post about the evening’s brainstorming session. The final travel note will be about the only city serving as the capital of two states: Nicosia and Famagusta, friends. After finishing the draft of this text, Meryem read the news (1 April) of a stone-throwing and explosive attack carried out by a group sympathetic to the EOKA terrorist organisation against civilian citizens in the Yiğitler Burcu region of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Turkey has declared that it stands by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in all circumstances. Do they want to hear the song ‘I might come unexpectedly one night’ again? I hope Turkey is not dragged into regional conflicts via Cyprus.

Famagusta

On the final day of the trip, we packed our bags the night before; after breakfast, we took buses to the Closed Maraş (Varoşa) area in Famagusta.

I recalled its magnificent castle, its harbour, and the thinkers exiled here; so many places of worship have been built that there is almost one church for every day of the year. Although it was originally a small commercial port town and fishing village, it has developed over time through the works and structures left behind by the civilisations that settled there.

It is said that Gazi Famagusta was first founded by the Egyptian Ptolemaic King Philadelphus II (285–247 BC) around the lagoon on the coast where the ruins of Salamis are located. Until Friday, we explored this area, often referred to as a ‘ghost town’, which brings to mind the saying, ‘the owner of the property, the owner of the land—where is the first owner?’ Once a luxury tourist resort known as the Mediterranean’s old “Las Vegas”, it was abandoned after the 1974 Cyprus Operation and turned into a ghost town. The area, which had been a military restricted zone for 46 years with entry prohibited, was partially opened to visitors in 2020; we explored it on foot, the weather was lovely and mild. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1CYmg-IAwE

Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque: Friday Prayer

This is the most important square within the walls, as it is home to the former St Nicholas Cathedral, with the Venetian Palace and Namık Kemal Square just ahead. The area is teeming with churches; perhaps that’s why they say there’s a church for every day of the year. St Nicholas’s Cathedral is said to be the largest medieval structure in Famagusta. It was built in the Rayonnant Gothic style between 1298 and around 1400 during the period when the French Lusignans ruled the island, and was consecrated as a Catholic cathedral in 1328. The crown figure on the door is said to indicate that this was the place where the King of Jerusalem was consecrated.

After the Ottoman Empire conquered Famagusta in 1571, it began to bear the name of Lala Mustafa Pasha, an Ottoman Grand Vizier of Bosnian origin, from 1954 onwards. Pasha was a statesman who commanded Ottoman forces against the Venetians in Cyprus during the reign of Murad III. We sat in the shade of the Cümbez tree, said to have been brought from Egypt, and gazed at the mosque.

https://youtube.com/shorts/CJcZ6uE0miI?si=QyKWYEX4ou2KATIP

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CJcZ6uE0miI

Namık Kemal Square

The place where Namık Kemal, whom we refer to as the ‘Poet of the Fatherland’, stayed whilst in exile is situated just ahead of the mosque. It consists of a rectangular, two-storey building located in the courtyard of the Venetian Palace. As you know, Namık Kemal lived in Suriçi as a prisoner between 1873 and 1876.

The poet’s bust stands in front of the Ottoman Madrasa, north of the cypress tree and the Ottoman tombs. The Ottoman authorities, disturbed by the great popularity of the play “Vatan yahut Silistre” among the people and the public’s interest in Namık Kemal, exiled him to Famagusta.

A distinguished bureaucrat as well as a thinker, he served as chief editor of Tasvir-i Efkâr and even managed the newspaper when its owner, İbrahim Şinasi, fled abroad in 1865. It is possible to learn from the information displayed in the museum that he contributed articles to many Turkish-language newspapers published in Istanbul during the 1860s and 1870s. We left the square, offering our prayers for the repose of the soul of the thinker, whose writings appeared in the Hürriyet Gazetesi—the publication organ of the Young Ottomans—between 1867 and 1871 in London and Paris.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVSIc3A8a7E

We met at the restaurant known as İnciraltı; after our meal, we headed to the airport and bid farewell to our friends, hoping to meet again on our next trip or gathering.