Bedesten (Covered Marked), Nicosia

Beside the Selimiye Mosque stands the Covered Market. It is over a thousand years old. It had been a church in the sixth century. It was enlarged and rebuilt between the 12th and 16th centuries and dedicated to Saint Nicholas. When the Ottomans arrived in 1570, it was converted to a covered market dedicated to fabrics and textiles.

Fragments of a Byzantine basilica may be found inside the building. These pieces have been taken to mark the site of the first cathedral of Saint Sophia. Under Lusignan rule the Covered Market served as an Orthodox church. The Byzantine apse is still there. In the Venetian period the Covered Market was dedicated to Mary, Our lady of the Way.

The Venetians built the north facade with coats of arms above the main entrance. The dome and the central apse replaced the Byzantine originals. In 1573, after the Ottoman conquest of the island, the building became a covered textile market. In time it was also used as a food market. In the 19th century it saw use as a depot for flour.

By the 1930s the building fell into disuse. By 2004 a renovation project financed by the European Union and the city administration was undertaken. The walls were cleaned and the vaults reinforced using traditional methods.

In 2009 the building was restored and commenced use as a cultural center. It is a venue for Sufi dances and the Nicosia Walled City Jazz Festival.