Today we started by touring Nicosia’s new city area. Our tour began in Eleftheria Square. The design of the square was very modern and we were told that there was a split between residents that appreciated and did not appreciate the modernness of the design. I for one admired the modern structure of the square in relation to the old city and Venetian Walls. The contrast between the old and new architecture is something that I wish was more prevalent in the United States. When walking around the new part of Nicosia while the buildings were more recent and were structurally more modern there were not many of the high rises that I have grown used to seeing in almost every big city in the US. Originally, before coming to Nicosia, I had a mental image that the popular capital city of Cyprus was going to built up vertically, and was surprised to see only three or so high rises.
Most of the history in the US that is talked about and know starts around the 1500’s with its colonization. On the other hand, it was interesting to learn that Cyprus’s documented history dates back way further than the Americas. While walking through the old part of Nicosia we were informed that this countries pristine locating and role as middle man between Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, influenced Cyprus’s colonization. There were and still are many nationalities, cultures, and religious groups in Cyprus. My favorite part of today was observing the differences in architecture from the Ottoman Empire era and the British colonization era. The closed balconies vs opened balconies, the dome vs pointed structures, and the specific types of windows all display different time periods of the Cyprus history.
In addition to the tours of both new and old Nicosia, we visited UNIC. Even upon first glance it was easy to spot the differences between US universities and this specific university in Cyprus. During the lecture I noticed how the technology that was being used was different from the brand most universities use in the US, the dorms in Nicosia were much structurally pleasing and fancier, and the meals university students were provided seemed different. It was neat to see the different lifestyles on a college campus in two different countries.
Lastly I want to tie this all up by pointing out some random differences I noticed in Nicosia. First it is noticeable by the green building styles and water efficiency practices that Nicosia and possibly Cyprus as a whole seems to be more environmentally aware than the US. Additionally, while walking around the city I noticed how formal many people were walking around. It was rare that I saw someone who I assumed to be a resident in Nicosia not wearing long pants or dresses. Finally, when eating an amazing lunch today a restaurant opened for my group and also gave us free dessert after the meal. The hospitality in Cyprus is really amazing, and I have noticed it at every place I visited today:)
