Mia Milea

The flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (Turkish: Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti Bayrağı) is the national flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and is based on the flag of Turkey, with the colors reversed and two additional horizontal red stripes at the top and bottom. The flag was drawn by the Turkish Cypriot artist Emin Çizenel. It was adopted in 1984 by Northern Cyprus, a self-declared state that is recognized only by Turkey, after its unilateral declaration of independen…

Buffavento Castle (Greek: Kάστρο Βουφαβέντο, Turkish: Buffavento Kalesi) is a castle in Northern Cyprus. The exact date of its construction remains unknown, the most plausible theory being the Byzantine period. It combines Byzantine and Frankish architectural elements. It fell into disuse in the 14th century. History Buffavento stands between St. Hilarion Castle to the west and Kantara Castle to the east forming a protective axis in the Kyrenia mountain range of Northern Cyprus. Buffavento guard…

The Cyprus Museum (also known as the Cyprus Archaeological Museum) is the oldest and largest archaeological museum in Cyprus. The museum houses artifacts discovered during numerous excavations on the island. The museum is home to the most extensive collection of Cypriot antiquities in the world and is located on Museum Street in central Nicosia. Its history goes hand in hand with the course of modern archaeology (and the Department of Antiquities) in Cyprus. Of note is that only artefacts discov…

Ledra Street (Greek: Οδός Λήδρας Odos Lidras; Turkish: Ledra Caddesi) is a major shopping thoroughfare in central Nicosia, Cyprus, which links North Nicosia, the part of the city under the control of the de facto Northern Cyprus, and south Nicosia. It is the site of the former Ledra Street barricade, across the United Nations buffer zone. The barricade symbolised the division of Nicosia between the Greek south and Turkish north. It was removed in April 2008 and Ledra Street became the sixth cros…

Büyük Han (lit. Great Inn) (Greek: Μεγάλο Πανδοχείο Megálo Pandocheío) is the largest caravansarai on the island of Cyprus and is considered to be one of the finest buildings on the island. Located in the capital of Cyprus, it was built by the Ottomans in 1572, the year after they had seized Cyprus from the Venetians. In the centre of the open courtyard is a mosque with a fountain for pre-prayer ablutions. It became the first city prison under British administration. After spending most of the 1…

Ercan International Airport (Turkish: Ercan Uluslararası Havalimanı Turkish: [æɾˈdʒan uɫusɫaɾaɾaˈsɯ havalimaˈnɯ] ) is the primary civilian airport of the unrecognised de facto state of Northern Cyprus. It is located about east of Nicosia, near the village of Tymbou. History The precursor of Ercan Airport, Tymvou Airport, was constructed by the British in World War II as a military airport, during their colonial rule of the island. Following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the partition of t…

The House of Representatives (Greek: Βουλή των Αντιπροσώπων ; Turkish: Temsilciler Meclisi) is the national unicameral legislature of the Republic of Cyprus. Members and three observers representing Armenian, Latin, and Maronite Cypriots are elected by proportional representation every five years. 30% of seats are allocated to Turkish Cypriots, but these have been vacant since 1964. The House of Representatives of Cyprus is the only legislature in Europe within a fully presidential system. Elect…

Sarayönü (Greek: Πλατεία του Σεραγίου), officially Atatürk Square (Turkish: Atatürk Meydanı; Greek: Πλατεία Ατατούρκ), is a square in North Nicosia. It is the centre of the Turkish part of the city and was the administrative center of the island for centuries. The Turkish Cypriot central Law Courts, the Nicosia Post Office, as well as a police station and a number of banks in the square. The thoroughfare of Girne Avenue ends in the square. The Ottoman governor's mansion, originally a Lusignan, a…