Nicosia: route 1

In 1852, the Phaneromeni church in Old Nicosia decided to build a school just for girls. They used their own money to build it! The school is located at the 28th of October Square and it was the very first girls’ school in Cyprus.

The school building has only one floor and was built in a style that looks like ancient Greek temples. It has a grand staircase made of marble, four big columns and a triangle roof. It’s called neoclassical architecture.

Lots of girls who went to the Phaneromeni School are still alive today. They tell stories about how the school was an important part of the education and resilience of the people during times of trouble on the island. For example, Ms Popi Avraam, who became an Ambassador for Cyprus and graduated from the school in 1969  remembers how they had to put sandbags around the windows to keep them safe.

The school was fixed up in 1925 and again from 2001 to 2003. It’s still being used today as a high school, and also has a primary school and kindergarten. People want to turn it into a school for studying architecture. Let’s see if future architects will create more interesting buildings in Nicosia!

The inside of the building is very big, with high ceilings and not much on the walls. This building is very old and has been used a lot, so the walls are a bit worn out.

Nowadays, the building is used for something else. It was fixed up a few years ago and now it’s an Arts Centre where people can go to see art and learn about it too. This Arts Centre is very important because it’s the oldest and biggest one for modern art in Cyprus! Did you know that they offer special classes for children who want to learn about Contemporary Art, Engraving, Theatre, and New Media, just like you. Do you like arts? If yes, you should definitely visit!

The Severeios Library is a big building with a simple shape that was built in 1947. It has a special entrance that is made of four pillars. Inside the building, there is a big room where people can read books, and there are also some offices and storage rooms.

The library was named after a man called Dimosthenis Severis who donated a lot of money to build it. The library has books that were donated by people who wanted to share their personal collections with others.

There was a time when the students who went to the school next to the library were fighting for the island’s independence from the British. They used the library as a place to hide and protect themselves. When the British soldiers and their helpers found this out, a big clash broke out with rocks and tear gas. After this, the British government decided to remove the school from the list of schools.

Now, people can visit the Severeios Library to read books, see the collections of personal libraries, and learn about the history of the island.

This is the oldest school in Cyprus, and it’s been around for a really long time! The architecture of the building is neoclassical, which means it has the characteristics of ancient Greek temples. It has four big columns at the front and statues inside. Sadly, the building was damaged in a fire a long time ago, but it was fixed up really quickly.

The school used to have a library called the Severios Library, and there was also a girls’ section called the Phaneromeni School. You have visited these two buildings a few minutes ago! The school is very important to the history of Cyprus, especially during the independence war in the island against the British control.

Even though it’s really old, the school has been teaching students until today!

In 1972, a new building was built to replace the Mitsides Flourmill in Nicosia that was destroyed in a fire in 1970. The new building has a modern design, with a flat roof, straight lines, and big windows.

The Mitsides family started their flour and pasta business a long time ago, in 1932. They bought a traditional stone mill in the old part of Nicosia, near the Famagusta Gate, where they started making flour and pasta. Perhaps you might have seen their products in the supermarket! If not, have a look around the next time you go grocery shopping.

This is a really important building for modern architecture in Nicosia. It was designed by a famous architect named Neoptolemos Michaelides in 1957-1959.

Can you guess the material that it is made of? The building is made of concrete and is really simple in shape. It has three parts: the bottom has offices and storage rooms, the middle has apartments, and the top has a cool terrace with a great view. The stairs and elevator are on the side of the building.

The building is really special because of its design, and it was even declared a preserved building in 2004. That means that people will take care of it so that it won’t fall apart. In 2012, some architects were put in charge of looking after the building.

The building is really elegant! It’s two stories tall and has big columns in the front that hold up a roof over the entrance. All the windows are shaped like arches and the roof is covered in red tiles. The building has a yard around it with lots of plants and trees. It must be great for the students to relax and play here during breaktime!

A long time ago, a man named Konstantinos Loizidis wanted to build a school to honor his daughter, Eleni, who had passed away when she was only 22 years old. So he donated his own money to build the “ELENION” school. Since then, lots of important people have graduated from there, such as Iakovos Patatsos, who did important things for Cyprus, and even a Nobel Prize winner named Christophoros Pissarides!

The school is open until today  teaching young students just like you.

This big building was built in 1930 and used to be a place where families could dance and watch shows together. Do you want to learn something interesting? The building was first called “Luna Park”. Yes, like the amusement parks that we visit for fun!  Later on, from 1935 to 1944, the offices of a football team called APOEL were located there. After that, it was turned into the Nicosia town hall. It’s interesting how many uses a building can have throughout time, isn’t it?

In 1951, the building was changed to look like a fancy, old-fashioned building with big columns at the entrance. The walls are a pale pink colour and there are big glass doors at the entrance. The building only has one floor, and it is surrounded by a big yard with a fountain and a parking area. From there stretch the Nicosia city walls.