Sarayönü Square
| Atatürk Square | |
The Venetian Column, located in the Sarayönü Square.
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| Former name(s) | Konak Square Saray Square Orduönü Square |
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| Maintained by | Nicosia Turkish Municipality |
| Location |
de facto North Nicosia, Northern Cyprus de jure Nicosia, Cyprus |
| Coordinates | |
| Other | |
| Known for | Center of North Nicosia, historical administrative center |
Sarayönü (Greek: Πλατεία του Σεραγίου), officially Atatürk Square (Turkish: Atatürk Meydanı; Greek: Πλατεία Ατατούρκ), is a square in North Nicosia. It is the centre of the Turkish part of the city and was the administrative center of the island for centuries.
The Turkish Cypriot central Law Courts, the Nicosia Post Office, as well as a police station and a number of banks in the square. The thoroughfare of Girne Avenue ends in the square. The Ottoman governor's mansion, originally a Lusignan, and later Venetian palace, also stood in the south west of the square, before it was destroyed by the British in early 20th century.
The name "Sarayönü", meaning "the front of the palace" has been commonly used for a long time. The square was reportedly known as "Orduönü Square" before the 18th century. Giovannia Mariti wrote in 1767 that the square was called "Saray Square" by the local population. The first British administrative records mention the square as "Serai Eunu Meidanlik" ("Sarayönü Meydanlığı", Sarayönü Square) and "Hioukioumet Konaghi Meidani" ("Hükümet Konağı Meydanı", Government House Square). The name was then switched to "Konak Square" ("Mansion Square") prior to the last years of British sovereignty on the island.
The square was officially renamed "Atatürk Square" after Turkish statesman Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1943 by the Nicosia Municipality under Themistoklis Dervis. According to the contemporary Turkish Cypriot newspaper Söz, the change was greeted with appreciation by the Turkish Cypriot community and helped Dervis boost his popularity prior to the upcoming elections.
A defining feature of the square was the royal palace constructed by the Lusignan dynasty until its demolition. It was originally constructed as the house of Sir Hugh de la Baume, the Constable of Cyprus, but the royal family decided to move into the house following the burning of their second royal palace by the Mamluks. The move occurred in 1427 after some alterations and the building became the third Lusignan royal palace in Nicosia. The place where the Venetian Column stands today was occupied by raspberry trees when the Lusignan palace was constructed.
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Wikipedia