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Cyprus’ capital Nicosia is a divided city. Ever since the inter-communal violence of the early 70s and the Turkish invasion of 1974, Cyprus has been a divided nation with a Greek south and Turkish north, with a UN buffer zone between the two to keep the peace. But in recent years tensions have eased somewhat, and it’s now possible to pass between the two sectors, as I did several times in Nicosia over the past few days. But ‘no man’s land’ between the checkpoints of the two sectors remains an eerie, edgy place with boarded up decaying buildings and signs warning against entry or photography.
The old town centre is compact with a few interesting sights on each side of the border. I spent a day wandering around the winding streets and alleys on both sides. The highlights were the Cyprus Museum displaying relics from Cyprus’ millennia of recorded history during which it has been ruled over by various civilisations, and north of the line, a dance performance by Sufi Muslims of the Mevlevi Order better known in the west as the “whirling dervishes”. The short video below will explain the name. The performance was beautiful and slightly hypnotic.
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