Cross The Green Line in Nicosia, Cyprus

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Green Line, that part of the United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus that runs through Nicosia and a colloquial name for the buffer zone as a whole. The United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus is a demilitarized zone, patrolled by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), that was established in 1964 and extended in 1974 after the ceasefire of 16 August 1974, following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, and the de facto partition of the island into the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus (southern Cyprus save for the British Sovereign Base Areas) and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the North. To date, five checkpoints have been opened across the island. Two of these are in the city of Nicosia enabling a quick visit, via passport control to “the other side”. The Ledra Palace border crossing just outside the walled city to the west. This checkpoint allows for pedestrian and vehicle traffic. The Ledra Street border crossing is a pedestrian-only crossing in the centre of the city. There are immigration points to be cleared on both sides of the Green Line so that you will require your passport or ID card for EU citizens. The Green Line stretches for 180 kilometres (112 miles) from Paralimni in the east to Kato Pyrgos in the west, where a separate section surrounds Kokkina. The zone cuts through the centre of Nicosia, separating the city into southern and northern sections. In total, it spans an area of 346 square kilometres (134 sq mi), varying in width from less than 20 metres (66 ft) to more than 7 kilometres (4.3 mi). It is inhabited only by the UN peacekeeping force. Access to this intermediate territory is strictly prohibited. Nicosia remains the only divided capital in the world.

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