Theatre in Nicosia

The theatre is quite popular among Cypriots in Nicosia. There are a wide variety of shows available, from family-friendly children's theatre to professional productions of modern classics and ancient Greek dramas.

Theaters like Maskarini Theatre and Paidiki Skini Dorou Kyriakidi (Children's Theatre) frequently put on shows geared towards smaller children and families. The modern and beautifully designed Cyprus National Theatre, which includes the grand Lyric Theater and smaller New Theater, puts on great productions and more intimate performances in its smaller venue. Here you will find classic Shakespearean productions such as “Hamlet”, and plenty of modern and classic Greek productions.

Other theaters and performance venues include:

• Strovolos Municipal Theatre
• Theatro Ena
• Pallas Cinema – Theatre
• Dionysos Theatre

In addition to theatrical performances, these venues also host dance and music performances.

Opera in Nicosia

Though there is no separate dedicated venue for operas in Nicosia, there is an opera company known as Opera Nicosia, which is supported by the Cyprus Academy of Music.

Most such performances take place at the Strovolos Municipal Theatre, located at Strovolos Avenue 100 in Strovolos, Nicosia; Tel: +357 22 31 30 10. However, check in advance before planning an outing to the opera, as sometimes Opera Nicosia goes for long stretches without performances.

Orchestra in Nicosia

For its relatively small size, Nicosia is home to many different orchestral performances and festivals. The Cyprus Symphony Orchestra has established itself as the best orchestral group on the island, and it encourages young people to get involved with classical music as well through the Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra.

The symphony orchestra was established in 1987, though it was not upgraded to a full-time professional orchestra until 1999. The group has been directed by several guest conductors over the past decades, including American conductor Wayne Bennett, Cypriots Marios Papadopoulos and Kypros Hadjimarkou, and other internationally renowned chief conductors such as Roland Melia, Maciej Zoltowski, Spiros Pisinos, and Peter Kovacs.

The Cyprus Symphony Orchestra plays piano concertos, chamber music, and family-oriented shows, in addition to many compositions from world-famous operas and ballets, such as Don Giovanni.

Museums in Nicosia

Cyprus Museum

Opening Hours: 8 AM – 6 PM (Closed Mondays)
Address: 1 Museum Street, Nicosia, Cyprus
Website: http://www.mcw.gov.cy/da
Tel: +357 22 86 58 54

Visit the oldest and largest archaeological museum in Cyprus, which has the distinction of only housing antiquities found on the island of Cyprus.  The museum's opening hours are different on weekends, so check the museum's schedule ahead of time.

Cyprus Folk Art Museum

Opening Hours: 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM (Closed Mondays, Sundays)
Address: 1 Museum Street, Nicosia, Cyprus
Website: http://www.cypriotstudies.org/Mouseio.html
Tel: +357 22 43 25 78

Also known as the Ethnographic Museum of Cyprus, the Cyprus Folk Art Museum is housed in the old Archbishopric Palace. The collections focus on Cypriot folk art in the 19th and 20th centuries, with works such as pottery, embroidery, and woodcarvings exhibited. National costumes throughout the eras of Cypriot history are also on display.

Makarios Cultural Foundation – The Byzantine Museum

Opening Hours: 9 AM – 4 PM (Closed Sundays)
Address: Arch. Kyprianou Square, 1505 Nicosia
Website: http://www.makariosfoundation.org.cy/8.html
Tel: +357 22 43 00 08

Over 220 pieces of religious artwork are contained within the Byzantine Museum, mostly from the Christian Byzantine eras until the 19th century. One of the most popular exhibits is the Kanakaria Mosaics, stolen from the Turkish-occupied north after the occupation and returned to the Republic of Cyprus in 1991.

Leventis Gallery

Opening Hours: 9 AM – 8 PM (Closed Weekends)
Address: Anastasious G. Leventi 5, 1097 Nicosia
Website: http://www.leventisgallery.org/home
Tel: +357 22 66 88 38

The relatively new Leventis Gallery was opened up in 2013, and is now home to over 800 paintings by Cypriot, Greek and other European artists. The Leventis Foundation works to promote Hellenic culture, so the focus is on Greek and Cypriot artists in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Cyprus Classic Motorcycle Museum

Opening Hours: 9 AM – 5 PM (Closed Sundays)
Address: Granikou 44, Nicosia 1010
Website: http://agrino.org/motormuseum/
Tel: +357 22 68 02 22

This cool niche museum contains a huge collection of classic motorcycles produced between 1914 and 1983. Brands from all over the world are represented, including Triumph, BMW, Matchless, and Moto Guzzi. Over 150 motorcycles can be found on display here.

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