Second edition of ‘My Nicosia Mandala Colouring Book’ announced as first sells out

Almost a decade after it first appeared, My Nicosia Mandala, the colouring book that set out to capture the soul of Europe’s last divided capital in a series of 11 hand-drawn mandalas, is being reissued in a second edition following sustained demand that saw the original print run sell out.

First published in 2016 by a bookworm publication, My Nicosia Mandala quickly became more than a colouring book. It became the first in what grew into the Cyprus Mandala Colouring Book Series — a family of publications that now includes My Akamas Mandala (2017), inspired by the endemic plants of the Akamas peninsula, and My Cape Greco Mandala (2018), drawn from the wildlife of Cape Greco.

Together, the series has been used as an educational tool in schools and workshops across the island, presented as a calming, mindful activity for all ages that raises awareness of Cypriot heritage.

A city within a circle

The concept behind the book is as elegant as it is fitting. The Venetian walls of Nicosia, built in the 16th century, were designed as a practical example of an “ideal city” — their star-shaped plan based on grids and geometric patterns intended to encourage moral, spiritual and lawful qualities of citizenship. The mandala — “circle” in Sanskrit — is a concentric structure whose balanced visual elements symbolise unity and harmony, each mandala carrying its own unique meaning.

Fitting the circular form of the mandala within the outline of Nicosia’s ancient walls and its 11 bastions, author Melissa Hekkers created one mandala for each bastion of the capital. To do so, she photographed architectural details on both sides of the divided city: the metalwork of windows and doors, the stonework of buildings and churches, the floor patterns of traditional houses, the metal street lights and the balconies within the walls.

The result is a black-and-white colouring book for children and adults alike — one that asks its readers to look closer at a city they thought they knew or want to discover.

“Creating these mandalas, looking deeper into the details of Nicosia and embracing the city as a whole has been a journey I thoroughly enjoyed,” says Hekkers. “The process of colouring, both for adults and children, has been deemed a healing one; an act where one remains focused and in the process is soothed and nourished. It felt like a fitting idea for a multiethnic city which, just like mandalas, requires unity and harmony in order to peacefully work as one entity.”

Why colour the city?

Beyond its artistic charm, the book offers a gentle gateway to Nicosia’s cultural heritage. Each of the 11 mandalas doubles as a lesson in the city’s built environment — its Venetian fortifications, its craft traditions, and the layered history of a city where multiple communities have lived side by side for centuries. For younger readers in particular, the book transforms heritage learning from a textbook exercise into a hands-on, contemplative activity.

The benefits of colouring itself are well documented. Research shows that colouring structured patterns such as mandalas can reduce anxiety and induce a meditative state: one study of older adults found that just 20 minutes of mandala colouring significantly relieved feelings of anxiety compared with other activities, while further research has associated colouring with improved mood, mindfulness and emotional regulation.

This makes coloring books very much like a meditative exercise. For a city that has lived with division for half a century, the symbolism of an activity built on unity, harmony and focused calm is hard to miss.

Availability

The second edition of My Nicosia Mandala (32 pages, €12) is available from the Moufflon and Soloneio Bookshop in Nicosia as well as directly from the author (Instagram handle: Melissa Hekkers). Signed copies and colouring workshops for schools and community groups can be arranged by contacting the author. My Nicosia Mandala is also used as gifts for corporate and group events at a reduced price.

About the author

Melissa Hekkers is a Belgian freelance journalist, author and translator based in Nicosia, Cyprus. Her work spans children’s literature, creative non-fiction and educational colouring books exploring the cultural and natural heritage of Cyprus, and frequently addresses themes of silenced communities, migration and environmental awareness. She is the author of the Cyprus Mandala Colouring Book Series, Amir’s Blue Elephant and numerous works of journalism and creative non-fiction.

For more information, contact Melissa Hekkers:

• T: +357 99 80 38 32
• E: [email protected]