All about Nicosia, Cyprus (1)
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THE ANTIQUITIES
OF TURKISH
NICOSIA

by
William Dreghorn,
B.Sc., Ph. D. (Lond.)

(...) Historians believe that as far back as 280 BC. there was a town called Ledra in the centre of Cyprus. Then follows a gap in history for more than a thousand years, when it is recorded that a walled city stood in the Mesaoria plain and its name was Lefkosa or Lefkosia.

The modern name of Nicosia arose in the 19th century when an English soldier corrupted the word, because he did not listen carefully to the inhabitants' pronunciation (so the story goes). However, the name Nicosia was used in the Middle Ages.

A quick glance at the earlier pages of the source-book, "Excerpta Cypria", will soon show the antiquity of the name Nicosia. The first reference is in the journal of the German Count Wil(le)brand von Oldenburg who, in the year l211 AD., wrote in good Latin an account of his pilgrimage to the Holy Land when he visited Cyprus on his return journey. In fact he did not get it quite right for he says that "Cossia" was the capital city, but this looks like the first attempt to transliterate the Byzantine Greek into Latin. The new reference is conclusive and gives us the immense authority of Dante Alighieri, the great and extremely well-informed Italian epic poet who uses "Nicosia e Famagosta" when writing in the "Paradiso" about King Henry II of Lusignan. Dante wrote this in about 1305... (more)
The fortifications during the Lusignan period 1192-1489 A.D. - The first Lusignan castle in Nicosia was built during the reign of King Henry I, 1211. On seals of the king and his mother Alix in 1234, a castle with one or two towers is depicted surrounded with the inscription “CIVITAS NICOSIE”. (more)
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Ministry of Economy and Tourism: The foundation of the city dates back around 2250 years and it is now the capital of the island with a population of around 110000 and was developed mainly during the Lusignan period. (more)

THE VENETIAN PERIOD IN CYPRUS: To understand the causes which led to the occupation of Cyprus by Venice, it is necessary to review briefly the history of that republic. At the head of the Adriatic, between the Alps and the sea, lies the rich plains of Lombardy, formed by the soil washed down by the rivers from the mountains. A strong current sets round the northern Adriatic coast from east to west. This current catches the silt brought down by the rivers and deposits it in long banks parallel to the shore. Between these sandbanks and the shore lie brackish lagoons and groups of muddy islands. Behind the Lido, or sandbank, on a group of islands in the middle of a lagoon, lies the city of Venice. (more)