Cyprus’ U.N. Buffer Zone at 50
A photo essay by Louis Jacobson
NICOSIA, Cyprus — The summer of 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the United Nations buffer zone in Cyprus, a long-lasting division of the island, but one that has prevented active fighting for much of that period.
Running roughly 112 miles across the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, the U.N.-patrolled zone separates the predominantly Greek south and the predominantly Turkish north. The buffer zone, which varies in width from a few feet to a few miles, was established based on troop lines when a cease-fire ended hostilities between Greek and Turkish Cypriots in 1974. (Two portions of the buffer zone overlap with British military bases on the island.)
Inside the buffer zone, it sometimes seems that time has stood still. Nicosia’s former international airport, for instance, is largely inside the buffer zone and has been left to deteriorate. Today, most air traffic to the southern Republic of Cyprus arrives in Larnaca, an airport on the southern coast, or to Ercan International Airport in the predominantly Turkish north.
A landmark decision came in 2003, when authorities from both sides agreed to open several crossing points through the buffer zone. These are now widely used, allowing residents of one community to visit the other, something that has helped ease tensions. As long as visitors have a valid passport, crossing the buffer zone is usually hassle-free in both directions. Within the historical core of the divided capital of Nicosia, crossings can be made by foot at one of two points. (Vehicle crossings are a little more complicated, but not impossible.)
Occasionally, tensions have flared. As recently as August 2023, scuffles between U.N. forces and Turkish Cypriot forces broke out after unauthorized construction was begun in Pyla, a village that sits within the eastern portion of the buffer zone; it is the only mixed community of Greek and Turkish Cypriots on the island. But an agreement was reached in October that lowered tensions.
In general, the buffer zone has been quiet despite the lingering ethnic division. No deaths have occurred since 1996.
Here is a photo essay of my visit to both sides of the buffer zone during a week-long visit to Cyprus in December.
The approach to the Ledra Street crossing from the Republic of Cyprus (Greek Cypriot) side. This is one of two crossings within the divided capital of Nicosia. Ledra Street is lined with popular restaurants and shops, all of which stop at the Republic’s passport control office. To cross by foot from the Republic of Cyprus to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, you need to show your passport first to officials of the Republic, then proceed through the U.N.-patrolled buffer zone, and finally show it to passport control on the TRNC side.
A sign at the passport kiosk on the TRNC side, following a roughly 200-foot walk through the buffer zone. Both checkpoints move quickly, with little fuss.
The flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (the white flag at right) doesn’t fly in many places in the world: The TRNC is only recognized by Turkey, which is represented by the red flag at left. In this photograph, both flags fly outside the Cyprus Foundations Administration in the northern part of Nicosia, which sits within the TRNC, just a few blocks north of the buffer zone.
It’s common to be walking through a neighborhood of Nicosia and find yourself dead-ending into the buffer zone. The barriers look slapdash, but they have remained in place for decades, and life has adapted around them.
I was introduced to this group of men who meet every Saturday morning in the Büyük Han, an architectural gem built by the Ottomans in 1572 in what is now northern Nicosia. Originally an inn, it is now home to artisans’ shops and cafes. This group is a rarity: It is a mixed group of Greek and Turkish Cypriots who have made a point of meeting weekly since the border was re-opened in 2003.
Occasionally political graffiti can be seen in and around the buffer zone. This one reads “One Cyprus,” a goal that has proven elusive.
The passport control office for visitors exiting the TRNC at the Ledra Street crossing.
Ledra Street, a main shopping venue, ends a few blocks south of the buffer zone at Eleftheria Square, one of the main public spaces in the Republic of Cyprus (predominantly Greek Cypriot) portion of Nicosia. During my visit, the square was decorated for the Christmas season.
The other buffer zone crossing in Nicosia is named (somewhat confusingly) the Ledra Palace crossing. Here, the buffer zone is a bit longer, but still easily walkable.
The passport control kiosk at the northern end of the Ledra Palace crossing promises that the TRNC will live forever.
A portion of Nicosia’s Venetian walls — the circular fortress built in the mid-16th century by the Republic of Venice — can be seen from inside the buffer zone at the Ledra Palace crossing.
The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, or UNFICYP, is the authority within the buffer zone.
The U.N. has erected an exhibit within the buffer zone honoring women who have taken part in peace talks.
Feral cats are a common sight in Nicosia; they are friendly and well-treated by residents. This one is traversing the buffer zone at the Ledra Palace crossing.
Opened in 2011 with support from other European countries, the Home for Cooperation sits in the middle of the buffer zone at the Ledra Palace crossing. With meeting rooms, workspaces, a library and cafe, the Home for Cooperation offers a neutral venue for “bicommunal” gatherings — those that include both Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
Read my dispatch from Cyprus for The Economist, “The division of Cyprus looks indefinite,” in the July 18, 2024, issue.
