Bandabuliya

Description

The main market of the island has been operating for almost a century.

In the courtyard of Selimiye (Saint Sophia) and Bedesten (Church of Saint Nicholas), main trading places were used in Nicosia during Venetian rule of Cyprus from 1489 to 1570. Citizens entered the walled city of Nicosia to sell their products and textiles, using this area as their weekly local market.

Over the years, population growth and increasing popularity led the market to become a permanent fixture, and people from all over the island began coming to the Bandabuliya market in Nicosia.

Built between 1930 and 1932, during British occupation, it became the main covered municipal market in North Nicosia. Here citizens could find everything — from fresh fruits and vegetables to meat products and other goods. It was also a public space where locals met and gathered with their families.

In the 1970s, new residential areas began to be built outside the walled city, and gradually these shops closed, with the building becoming structurally unsafe.

Closed in 2010, the Bandabuliya market was renovated and reopened in June 2012 with stalls for vendors, cafes, bookstores, and a small theater.