Eleftheria Square ( el, Πλατεία Ελευθερίας; tr, Eleftheria Meydanı, Özgürlük Meydanı); literally meaning Liberty Square, is the main

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 central Nicosia, the capital city of

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...

, in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

. It forms the intersection of Ledra and Onasagorou streets with Stasinou, Omirou, Kostaki Pantelidi, Konstandinou Palaiologou and Evagorou avenues. It is considered one of

Zaha Hadid Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid ( ar, زها حديد ''Zahā Ḥadīd''; 31 October 1950 – 31 March 2016) was an Iraqi-British architect, artist and designer, recognised as a major figure in architecture of the late 20th and early 21st centu ...

's Top 35 projects.

Overview

The name translates as ''Liberty Square'' in English. Previously the square was called Metaxas Square, in reference to the Greek statesman

Ioannis Metaxas Ioannis Metaxas (; el, Ιωάννης Μεταξάς; 12th April 187129th January 1941) was a Greek military officer and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Greece from 1936 until his death in 1941. He governed constitutionally for t ...

. It was renamed in 1974, following a competition held at the suggestion of the then Mayor of Nicosia. It is located in the centre of the town below the Venetian walls of the medieval city. Nicosia town hall, located on D’Avila bastion, overlooks the square whilst Ledra Street leads onto its northern side. The project involves the use of sophisticated custom made materials and concepts. Renovation and remodeling of Eleftheria Square Nicosia Republic of Cyprus 2

Renovation and remodeling of Eleftheria Square Nicosia Republic of Cyprus 2

Cultural importance

The square is usually the focus of various profile activities in the capital. Examples include advertising promotions, political rallies and meetings such as the first meeting of the

Occupy Buffer Zone Occupy Buffer Zone (OBZ) was a protest movement that began on October 15, 2011 by Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot activists, in the Ledra Street checkpoint, in Nicosia, Cyprus. The movement began with a weekly occupation of the checkpoint, which ...

movement on October 15, 2011, and sporting events. Celebrations such as Cyprus's accession to the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...

were also centered around the square. As presently the square is not pedestrianized, when major events take place vehicles are redirected.

Modern era

Liberty Square was not part of the original construction of the

Venetian Venetian often means from or related to: * Venice, a city in Italy * Veneto, a region of Italy * Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area Venetian and the like may also refer to: * Venetian language, a Romance language s ...

walls. It first took the form of a bridge constructed during the British Cyprus era when the island was under the dominion of the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading post ...

, at the end of the 19th century. As the city expanded out of the medieval walls wooden bridges were constructed to facilitate transport. The original wooden bridge known as the Hajisavvas Opening (erected in 1882) was replaced with a solid concrete one, which survives to date.

Renovation project

In 2005 an architectural competition was announced to redesign the historical square. This was won by a group led by

Criticism

The proposed plans have been criticized by some local designers. In 2009 the initial excavation works revealed archaeological findings that have forced alterations to the original design.

Gallery

File:NICOSIA, 11 AUGUST, 2011 255.jpg, Town Hall,

walls and

Tower 25 Tower 25 (also called The White Walls) is a high-rise building located in the centre of Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus. It was designed by the architect Jean Nouvel and is a major addition to Nicosia's landmarks owing to its original design and l ...

File:Eleftheria Liberty Square in Nicosia country Cyprus 1000.jpg, Liberty Square under construction File:Eleftheria Square to Ledra Street Greek bakery Nicosia Cyprus.jpg, View towards Ledra Street File:Eleftheria Square under construction night Nicosia Cyprus 2012.jpg, Eleftheria Square under construction at night File:Eleftheria Square under construction Nicosia Republic of Cyprus.jpg, Eleftheria Square under construction File:Liberty Hall Nicosia Republic of Cyprus.jpg, Nicosia Liberty Town Hall File:Obz 15oct eleftheria.jpg,

movement in 2011

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Eleftheria Square Buildings and structures in Nicosia Squares in Nicosia National squares