Faneromeni Square ( el, Πλατεία Φανερωμένης; tr, Faneromeni Meydanı) is an important historical
square
In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90- degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length a ...
in
Nicosia. It is in an ancient part of Nicosia, within city walls built when it was under
Venetian rule.
It hosts a number of historical buildings and monuments including
Faneromeni Church,
Faneromeni School
Faneromeni School (Greek: Παρθεναγωγείο Φανερωμένης, Turkish: Faneromeni Okulu), founded by Archbishop Makarios I in 1857, was the first all-girls school in Cyprus.
The founder of the School, Archbishop Makarios I, was ...
,
Faneromeni Library, and the
Marble Mausoleum.
Overview and historical background
Faneromeni Square was the centre of Nicosia before
Eleftheria Square
Eleftheria Square ( el, Πλατεία Ελευθερίας; tr, Eleftheria Meydanı, Özgürlük Meydanı); literally meaning Liberty Square, is the main square in central Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus, in Europe. It forms the intersecti ...
superseded it in 1974.
Faneromeni Church dominates the centre of the square; it was built in 1872 on the site of an ancient
Orthodox
Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to:
Religion
* Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...
nunnery. The church is dedicated to
Holy Mary and it is the largest church within the city walls of Nicosia. Architecturally the Church edifice features a mixture of
Neoclassical,
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
and
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying degrees. Latin functione ...
styles.
Faneromeni School, founded by Archbishop
Makarios I in 1857, was the first all-girls school in Cyprus. It was founded to improve rates of literacy among girls and women on the island.
The Marble Mausoleum on the eastern side of Faneromeni Church is situated at the front of the building. It was built in memory of four clerics executed by the
Ottoman governor in 1821, following the Cypriot revolt after the
Greek War of Independence was declared.
The square is surrounded by several
neoclassical buildings featuring predominantly Greek, as well as, local Cypriot architectural influences. These include the Faneromeni Library.
Today the square is a meeting point for the anarchist movement of Cyprus, anti-authoritarians, libertarians, many artists and musicians. It is also a stronghold of the antifascist movement on the island.
Gallery
Historical buildings and monuments
Image:NICOSIA,_11_AUGUST,_2011_173.jpg, Marble Mausoleum & Faneromeni School
Image:NICOSIA,_11_AUGUST,_2011_192.jpg, Marble Mausoleum in Faneromeni Square
Image:NICOSIA, 11 AUGUST, 2011 186.jpg, Faneromeni School façade
Image:NICOSIA,_11_AUGUST,_2011_221.jpg, Faneromeni Library
Image:NICOSIA,_11_AUGUST,_2011_224.jpg, Faneromeni Library
Faneromeni Church
Image:NICOSIA,_11_AUGUST,_2011_218.jpg, Faneromeni Church: entrance to the square
Image:NICOSIA,_11_AUGUST,_2011_199.jpg, Faneromeni Church & School
Image:NICOSIA,_11_AUGUST,_2011_219.jpg, Faneromeni Church façade
Image:NICOSIA,_11_AUGUST,_2011_212.jpg, Faneromeni Church façade (detail)
Typical architecture
Image:NICOSIA,_11_AUGUST,_2011_231.jpg, Typical architecture with Faneromeni Church in the background
Image:NICOSIA,_11_AUGUST,_2011_230.jpg, Traditional architecture
Image:NICOSIA,_11_AUGUST,_2011_202.jpg, Building with traditional Greek and local Cypriot Neoclassical features
Image:NICOSIA,_11_AUGUST,_2011_204.jpg, Detail of building adjacent to Faneromeni Church
Image:NICOSIA,_11_AUGUST,_2011_205.jpg, Cluster of Neoclassical buildings & Faneromeni Library
{{coord, 35.1735, 33.3628, type:landmark_region:CY, display=title
Squares in Nicosia
Nicosia