Handicrafts

🧶Handicrafts in North Cyprus: Discover Traditional Cypriot Arts and Souvenirs

When visiting North Cyprus, many travellers are enchanted not just by the beaches and history, but also by the region’s unique handicrafts. From delicate lacework to colourful woven rugs, the island’s artisan traditions offer visitors the chance to take home authentic, handmade souvenirs that tell the story of Cyprus’s rich cultural heritage.
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🧵Lefkara Lace – The Jewel of Cypriot Handicrafts

📍Undoubtedly the most famous handicraft of Northern Cyprus is the embroidery lace, known as the Lefkaritika net. The art dates back to the 15th century and was inspired by the Venetians. Local women got ideas from the delicate embroidery on Venetian clothes and put them on their own net. Traditionally, a Cypriot girl had to have an extended collection of Lefkara Lace ready for exhibition on her wedding day, and in this way, skills have passed from mother to daughter.

📍For centuries, women from villages and small towns have sat side by side, embroidering on linen fabrics. Cyprus Lefkara Lace is made of linen with thread, and varies in shapes and cutting techniques used to decorate the final hand craft. It's quite distinctive and notable characteristics are the hemstitch, satin stitch fillings, and needlepoint edgings. These form linens such as tablecloths and napkins which are only made in white, brown and ecru colours.

📍The other distinctive feature of fine lace in Northern Cyprus is that there's no difference between the front and back of any piece. Only lace made in this traditional way is considered to be authentic.

📍The design for Lefkara Lace is first drawn onto paper, and then a transparent second sheet placed over this to protect the lace. Needles are placed along the design outline, and a thread tied to the front-most needle. The thread is then run around the outside of all the needles and tied to the last needle. Once three layers of such threads have been built up, they are stitched together like a buttonhole. Gradually, the lace starts to form, rising out from the paper base. The result is an incredibly delicate, intricate and true labour of love. The skilled art is recognised on the UNESCO Intangible World Heritage List.

📍The linens became an important trade under Venetian rule, so famous that even Leonardo da Vinci personally visited Cyprus to find embroidery for decorating the altar of the Duomo Cathedral in Milan.

📍When visiting small villages, you may come across ladies sitting on their front porch busily hand-embroidering, working the lace as they have done for centuries. Lace work of Lefkara is a hot buy for visitors perhaps even as a gift to pass down through generations in truly Cypriot fashion. Available in souvenir or handicraft shops, the most renowned are at the Buyuk Han in Lefkosa.
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🥓Traditional Weaving: Kilims and Carpets

Weaving in North Cyprus is another important tradition, with handmade kilims and rugs produced on wooden looms. Featuring geometric patterns and natural dyes, these authentic Cypriot textiles are often passed down as family heirlooms. If you’re looking for a unique North Cyprus souvenir, a woven kilim or carpet is both decorative and practical.
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⚱️Cypriot Pottery and Ceramics

The history of pottery in Cyprus stretches back thousands of years. In towns and villages across North Cyprus, artisans still shape clay into bowls, jars, and decorative items, often inspired by ancient designs. Handmade pottery makes an excellent authentic gift from Cyprus, combining history with functionality.
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🧕Embroidery and Textile Arts

In addition to lace, Cypriot women have long practised embroidery (oya), embellishing scarves, blouses, and linens with delicate, colourful designs. Each piece is unique to its village of origin, making embroidered textiles one of the most personal and authentic crafts in North Cyprus.
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🪵Woodwork and Metalwork

Skilled craftsmen in North Cyprus also produce hand-carved wooden furniture, ornate doors, and decorative chests. In Nicosia, you’ll find copper and silverwork—from trays and coffee sets to traditional jewellery—that highlight the island’s Ottoman and Mediterranean influences.
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🧺Wicker Weaving

You can't ignore the wicker baskets! The bright and cheerful designs of these mat weavers in shops and restaurant walls all over the country, attract your attention. Mat weaving in Northern Cyprus is a unique art, as each weaver has his or her own weaving pattern. Plant knitting is where tree trunks, leaves, and twigs are used in mat weaving, by cutting them into thin strips to make baskets, bread trays, brooms, or jewelry boxes.
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🪑Straw Chairs

In many handicraft shops in North Cyprus you'll find chairs made of straw. Each of these miniature chairs has a very complex texture, being very light, yet durable, and are still very popular among Turkish Cypriot families.
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🛒Where to Buy Handicrafts in North Cyprus

If you’re wondering where to buy traditional Cypriot crafts, some of the best places include:
• Büyük Han, Nicosia – a historic caravanserai now filled with artisan workshops.
• Kyrenia harbour shops – perfect for handmade lace, embroidery, and jewellery.
• Village markets – where locals sell woven kilims, ceramics, and souvenirs.
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🛕Preserving Cypriot Craft Heritage

While modern life has changed much on the island, locals are passionate about keeping North Cyprus handicraft traditions alive. Cultural centres and workshops encourage younger generations to learn embroidery, weaving, and lace-making, ensuring these skills remain part of Cypriot identity.
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✨ Whether you’re shopping for authentic North Cyprus souvenirs or simply exploring the island’s cultural heritage, local handicrafts provide a meaningful connection to tradition. Handmade with skill and passion, they are more than objects—they are stories woven, stitched, and carved into the fabric of Cyprus.