The Nicosia Central Prison was built by the British in 1894 and was in use until 1955 as a place of detention of those condemned by the courts to imprisonment, but also as a place of temporary detention of persons under judicial decree. During the Turkish invasion of Cyprus (1974) battles raged around the Central Jail of Lefkosia. Vastly outnumbered, the Cypriot national guardsmen - aided by corrections officers - managed to fight off the Turks and keep the prison from being captured.