In December 1935, it was announced that Famagusta Gate’s facade would be revealed. The local authorities planned to tear down the aqueduct around the monument and restore its original doors, working with the Department of Antiquities. Back then, the Gate’s spaces were used as warehouses, and the base of the facade was still buried.
Fast forward nearly a century, 91 years after the first major work by the Department of Antiquities, Famagusta Gate is open to the public again. This famous monument in Nicosia’s old city was closed for almost seven years due to serious flood damage in 2018. Restoration started in February 2019, costing nearly one million euros.
The newly renovated spaces at Famagusta Gate will first serve Cyprus’s Presidency of the European Union. Later, they will become part of Nicosia’s wider cultural venues. During the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Culture Lina Kassianidou stressed that both protecting and promoting the monument is a priority. The aim is to connect it meaningfully with the city’s modern cultural and social life. She pointed out that showcasing Nicosia’s cultural heritage is especially important now as Cyprus takes on the EU Council Presidency.
George Georgiou, Director of the Department of Antiquities, noted that the main goal of the project was to restore the stone and wooden parts of the monument. These tasks were finished in 2023 after a year-long pause. Upgrading infrastructure like lighting, sound, air conditioning, and public service areas was also part of the plan, and some improvements have already been made.
The restoration work also helped deepen our understanding of the monument. Mr. Georgiou mentioned that they discovered Famagusta Gate’s foundation follows the natural shape of the land. Remnants of older medieval structures in Nicosia were found at various spots.
A Historic Monument with a Modern Cultural Role
Famagusta Gate is the most important of Nicosia’s three Venetian wall gates and got its name from the road to Famagusta. The other two gates are Paphos and Kyrenia. Originally called Porta Giuliana after Venetian engineer Giulio Savorgnan who designed the city’s walls in 1567, construction began but was never finished because of the Ottoman invasion in 1570.
Over the centuries, Famagusta Gate changed many times due to historical and political events. In 1981, under Mayor Lellos Demetriades, it became a Cultural Center, gaining a new role in the city’s cultural scene. For 37 years it served as a key cultural spot and now aims to be a lively cultural hub once more in Nicosia’s historic center.
