Cyprus – Inside the Former UN Buffer Zone
Following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, the United Nations Peacekeeping Force moved into the area in order to establish a buffer zone between the Greek Republic of Cyprus and the newly created Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
During that time, armed forces from all over the western world were positioned there, in an effort to maintain the peace, (and uphold the status quo).
The demilitarised zone became known as The Green Line. Stretching for more than 180 km (112 miles) the zone in effect, chopped the island of Cyprus in to two.
While the troops long ago disbanded, there are still thousands of local citizens that live and work with the villages and farmland that exist within the zone.
However, there is a section of the Green Line (that stretches to city of Nicosia) that lies completely abandoned.
As if time has stood still, (except for the decay of the intervening years) the abandoned area sits as a fascinating relic of the era it was last populated – in 1974.
Likewise, the Nicosia International Airport, which has seen no flights since 1977 is an eerie reminder of a time of when the zone was at the epicentre of an important time of European politics.
Although the area is off limits, adventurous urban explorers have been entering the zone in order to capture the images you see here.
