The Belgian nobleman Stochove wrote in 1613 about Nicosia:
There are many grand houses built of cut-stone, the streets are fine and wide, there is
nothing Ottoman about them, nor in the buildings, which are of the most part of Venetian
work. The Palace, formerly the residence of the kings of Cyprus, is large and beautiful:
above the entrance, you see the arms of the house of Lusignan, crowned and quartered
with those of Savoy. The Pasha or Viceroy lives there. In front is a spacious and fine
square, in the midst of which is a pyramid, or obelisk, like those one sees at Rome. The
Ottomans exercise their horses here every Friday. The city is rich in gardens full chiefly
of date palms: the number of crows is incredible, the trees are black with them. They are
useful as an alarum, for at dawn their croaking makes it impossible to sleep. The
Ottomans through some superstition will not have them killed.
Drawing: PNT-00967, Laiki Yitonia, Nicosia, Tessa Henderson, 1985-1988
© Costas and Rita Severis Foundation
The 'What I Saw...' series is made possible with the support of OPAP (Cyprus).
