Introduction: Divided Nicosia

Journal of M editerranean Studies, 1998 ISSN: 1016-3476 Vol. 8, N o. 2:1 4 7 -1 6 8 IN T R O D U C T IO N : D IV ID E D N IC O S IA Pe t e r i Ho c k n e l l , Va n g e l is Ca l o t y c h o s , Yia n n is Pa pa d a k is U n i v e r s i t y o f D u r h a m , N e w Y o r k U n i v e r s i t y , U n i v e r s i t y o f C y p r u s Nicosia: An Adm inistrative Centre The aim of this introduction is to provide an outline of the history and developm ent of Nicosia with emphasis on issues explored in this volume. Nicosia, as with the rest of Cyprus, passed from Venetian to Ottoman rule during 1571 when the Ottoman forces captured the island. The British later took over ruling the island from 1878, until 1960 when Cyprus was declared an independent republic. When the British arrived and estab­ lished Nicosia as the administrative centre o f the island, as the Ottomans and previously the Venetians had done before, Nicosia had the character­ istics o f an ordinary Ottoman city. It was a town of mosques and churches, public baths, bazaars, and hans which functioned like present-day hotels. The city was surrounded by circular walls which the Venetians had built in order to defend the town from the Ottomans. The town was previously crossed from west to east by a river. This river flowed right through the town. It entered the city from what nowadays is the Paphos Gate on the walls, and exited near the Famagusta Gate until the Venetians diverted its course for strategic reasons in 1567 (Keshishian 1990: 14). Notably, the old course of the river almost coincides with the current division of Nicosia. The palace of the Ottoman governor (the Saray) was located north of the old river bed, while on the south side of the river bed lay the administrative centre of the Orthodox Christian population, gathered around the palace o f the Archbishop who was regarded by the Ottomans as the leader of the Orthodox population. As such, the houses of prominent Muslim adm inistrators and military officials were located north of the river, while those o f prominent Christians were to be found south of the river, around the Archbishop’s palace. The west-to-east axis of the town was the main commercial axis, with various side streets housing markets and shops of merchants who specialised in a certain trade or craft. Soon Copyright © 1998 M editerranean Institute, University of Malta. 148 Peter Hocknell, Vangelis Calotychos, Yiannis Papadakis after the advent of the British, the old river bed was covered for hygienic reasons (Attalides 1981:99). The road which emerged in its place became the city’s main trade artery, running from west to east roughly in the m iddle o f the round walled city. This road was later called Hermes Street, and it soon became the city’s core—a place of trade, exchange and commercial integration of the inhabitants. W hen the British arrived, the city— all of which was built within the w alls— comprised of 25 quarters. Jeffery (1983: 32-33) distinguished these as follows: 14 Muslim, 7 Orthodox, 2 Orthodox and M uslim, 1 Arm enian and 1 Latin. An account of demographic and other changes which took place during the British rule of Nicosia is provided by Attalides (1981: 98-136). The British considered the walled city as distasteful and unhygienic, and the Governor’s residence was thus built on high ground outside the walls. Some administrative offices, however, were kept in the old traditional administrative area. The population of N icosia rose from 15,000 in 1881 to 96,000 in 1960, when Cyprus became inde­ pendent. During that period Nicosia experienced the largest growth o f any city in Cyprus. A ttalides’s...