The study of urban form in Cyprus

Abstract

The history of Cypriot cities, in particular the capital, Nicosia and the main historical port of Famagusta, has been the subject of a wide variety of publications. However, the study of their urban form is relatively recent and, until the establishment of architectural schools within Cypriot universities, it has been carried out within research establishments outside of Cyprus. Consequently, urban morphological research in Cyprus is highly influenced by international schools of thought that were prevalent where researchers carried out their studies – most of them within Britain. The application of different morphological approaches is now being continued within Cypriot universities. This paper discusses how different approaches to urban morphological research have been deployed in the context of urban form studies of Cypriot cities. It reviews existing morphological studies, which date back to the 1980s, and also presents key research in related disciplines, such as planning. There is a strong focus in Cyprus on two approaches: the historico-geographical and the configurational, although typological studies also exist. Certain themes, especially relating to physical divisions and social interactions, also feature quite prominently in the literature.