Lefka (Greek: Λεύκα, Turkish: Lefke) is a town in northwestern Cyprus, overlooking Morphou Bay. It is located in the Nicosia District, in the area controlled by the government of the de facto Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. In 1997 Lefka had 6,000 inhabitants. The town is the site of the European University of Lefke. Morphou Bay (Greek: Κολπος Μορφου, Kolpos Morfou; Turkish: Güzelyurt Körfezi), is a part of the Mediterranean Sea, located on the North Western side of the island of Cyprus. ... Nicosia District is one of the six districts of Cyprus. ... Anthem: Ä°stiklâl Marşı  (Turkish) Independence March Capital Nicosia (LefkoÅŸa) Turkish Government Representative democratic republic[1]  - President Mehmet Ali Talat  - Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer Sovereignty from Republic of Cyprus (de facto)   - Proclaimed November 15, 1983   - Recognition Only by Turkey and OIC  Area  - Total 3,355 km² (not ranked... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

History

During the Venetian period in Cyprus Lefka was dominated by Catholics of Italian descent. The town sent troops to help defend Nicosia against the Ottoman Turkish invaders in 1571. However, after the Ottomans successfully invaded Cyprus the Catholics were given a choice of converting to Islam or Greek Orthodoxy or going into exile. With many Catholics converting to Islam and Turks from Anatolia being settled in the estates of expelled Catholics, Lefka, just like other Catholic settlements across Cyprus, became the Muslim and Turkish Cypriot stronghold that it is to this day. Platia Eleftherias (Freedom square) Nicosia, Cyprus Satellite photo of Nicosia, Cyprus Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia (Greek: Λευκωσία , also colloquially Khora, Χώρα or Turkish: LefkoÅŸa) is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. ... Ottoman (in Turkish Osmanlı) may refer to: Look up Ottoman and ottoman in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the Quran, its principal scripture, whose followers, known as Muslims (مسلم), believe God (Arabic: الله ) sent through revelations to Muhammad. ... Greek Orthodox Church can refer to: the Orthodox Church of Constantinople, headed by the Patriarch of Constantinople, who is also the first among equals of the Eastern Orthodox Communion. ... Anatolia lies east of the Bosphorus, between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Anatolia is a peninsula of Western Asia which forms the greater part of the Asian portion of Turkey, as opposed to the European portion (Thrace, or traditionally Rumelia). ...

Coordinates: 35°07′N 32°51′E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...