Walls of Nicosia

Walls of Nicosia
Nicosia, Cyprus
Part of the Venetian walls
Map showing Nicosia in 1597
Coordinates	35°10′15.8″N 33°22′12.2″E / 35.171056°N 33.370056°E / 35.171056; 33.370056
Type	City wall and star fort
Site information
Owner	Government of Cyprus[a]
Controlled by	Department of Antiquities[1]
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Largely intact
Architect	Giulio Savorgnan
Site history
Built	1567–1570
Built by	Republic of Venice
Battles/wars	Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–73)

The Walls of Nicosia, also known as the Venetian Walls, are a series of defensive walls which surround Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus.^[a] The first city walls were built in the Middle Ages, but they were completely rebuilt in the mid-16th century by the Republic of Venice. The walls are still largely intact, and are among the best preserved Renaissance fortifications in the Eastern Mediterranean. They are a major tourist attraction.

Nicosia, like Palmanova in Italy, and Valletta in Malta, was an example of an ideal city of the Renaissance. This was due to its fortifications and its urban life within the city.^[2]

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