Idea #144 – Crossing the border of Nicosia, the last divided capital
Since July, 1974, Cyprus is cut in two by a demarcation line, called “ green line ” (or ” line Attila ” by the Turks). The green line was drawn in fact in 1964, during the first intercommunity disorders, by a British officer and takes its name of the color of the line drawn on a map of the capital in the green pencil. In the South, the Republic of Cyprus shelters the Cypriot-Greek community, that is approximately 700 000 inhabitants ; in the North, the Turkish Republic of Cyprus-North (RTCN), which is recognized only by Turkey, shelters the Turkish Cypriots, is approximately 200 000 inhabitants, most being Turkish colonists from Anatolia. In Nicosia, the green line imposes its presence; in every corner of streets, numerous observation posts, miradors, barbed wire, sandbags mark the limit not to be crossed. To Ledra Street is the border post allowing to pass from a territory to the other one, since April, 2003. The crossing is made in the middle of the “Buffer Zone” ( BZ), the buffer zone established in 1974 by the United Nations, the real no-man’s-land, where time stopped, thirty years ago.
Houses in ruin, tracks of shootings on broken up walls and part of the old Venetian ramparts which surrounded formerly Nicosia, that is what the Cypriots in passing an observation post to an other one can see. “Buffer Zone”, of prohibited access, which covers approximately 3 % of the territory, is permanently guarded by 1200 UN peacekeeping force. It separates the Greek Cypriot National police and the Turkish soldiers. It is very obvious prohibition to film and to photograph in the DZ…
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Nicosia, Cyprus
Larger Map