The Shacolas Tower is the tallest building in Nicosia's old city, a 1990s high-rise whose upper floors house a small museum and a rooftop observation deck with a panoramic view of the divided city. From here, the line of the Green Line (UN buffer zone) is clearly visible as a strip of abandoned buildings cutting across the urban fabric — a geography that is almost impossible to read at street level becomes instantly legible from above.
The museum on the penultimate floor has photographic and documentary exhibits on the history of the division of Cyprus and the city. It is earnest and informative. The observation deck above is the real draw: on a clear day you can see to the Pentadaktylos mountains in the north (in Turkish-controlled territory) and the Troodos mountains to the south. Admission is modest. The tower is on Ledra Street, the easiest landmark in the old city to find.