New walking tour explores Nicosia’s heritage

How many tales and how much heritage can a city hold? A new walking tour organised by the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research and the Home for Cooperation explores Nicosia’s Old Quarters and New Lives. That is the theme of the walk on Sunday led by animators Antigone Michael and Marios Epaminondas.

The tour is in the framework of the European Heritage Days, a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Commission since 1999. The route, starting at 10am, will take participants from the south-west Paphos Gate to the easternmost gate of Famagusta and end at the Omeriye Mosque highlighting spots that usually pass unnoticed.

“Nicosia’s walled city is endowed with a variety of heritage sites testifying to the plurality of the communities who have lived in the city over the years,” explain organisers. “Churches of different rites and mosques, commercial premises and public spaces, humble dwellings and impressive edifices are scattered in its quarters; the quarters where ever-changing groups of people live and interact.

“Nicosia’s heritage sites have some perennial qualities, nevertheless, they are also dynamic. Their essence includes not only their historical or symbolic value but also the meaning that is attributed to them by the people who include them in their daily life,” they add. As such the walk Old quarters, New lives explores the experience of people with migrant backgrounds whose destiny has been intertwined with that of the old city.

This experience, complementing the more established knowledge about the city as a heritage site can shed new light on our understanding of Nicosia and open up the possibility for a more inclusive and respectful society. Register through the Facebook event found on the Home for Cooperation’s Facebook page.

Old Quarters, New Lives

Walking tour led Antigone Michael and Marios Epaminondas, within the framework of the European Heritage Days. October 10. Starting location: Paphos Gate, Nicosia. 10am-12pm