Cyprus · 16th century
The Walls of Nicosia, also known as the Venetian Walls, are a series of defensive walls which surround Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus. 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 during their war with the Ottoman Empire. 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.
Text adapted from “Walls of Nicosia” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Venetian walls of Nicosia ranks #1,256 of 9,035 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #3 of the 6 mapped in Cyprus. Founded 1567, it is older than 35% of the atlas's dated landmarks, one of 886 atlas entries founded in the 16th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 2,792 times in the last 60 days, more than 76% of the atlas. 3 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Limassol, 63 km away. See how Cyprus compares in the castle statistics.
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