Nicosia Politics and Nature: the Cyprus Frozen Conflict, Famagusta Varosha Ghost City, Kyrenia Crusader Castle, Akamas Peninsula Wild West, Commandaria Oldest Wine, and the Two-Currency Capital Practical Guide
The Nicosia political and natural context covers the 1974 partition and the 2004 failed reunification referendum, the Famagusta Varosha ghost resort controversy, the Kyrenia ancient shipwreck harbor, the Akamas turtle nesting reserve, the world's oldest continuously produced wine at Commandaria, and the practical guide to crossing between the Euro and Turkish lira zones at the Ledra Street UN checkpoint.
- 1
The Cyprus Problem: A Frozen Conflict
The Cyprus division, dating from the 1974 Turkish military intervention following the Greek junta-backed coup to unite Cyprus with Greece, has created the most geographically frozen conflict in Europe, with the UN Buffer Zone patrolled by UNFICYP troops since 1974 and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus recognized only by Turkey. The failed 2004 Annan Plan reunification referendum, in which the Greek Cypriot community voted 76 percent against the UN reunification proposal while the Turkish Cypriot community voted 65 percent in favor, is the most significant missed opportunity for the peaceful resolution of the Cyprus problem.
- 2
Famagusta: The Ghost City and the Ancient Port
Famagusta in the north, the medieval walled city with the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque (the former Cathedral of St. Nicholas) and the Othello Tower, and the adjacent ghost suburb of Varosha where the Greek Cypriot resort hotels and residences have been sealed since 1974, is the most historically significant and most politically resonant city in Cyprus. The Varosha reopening, partially initiated by the Turkish Cypriot authorities in 2020 against UN Security Council resolutions, is the most contentious current political issue in the Cyprus dispute.
- 3
Kyrenia: The Crusader Castle and the Harbour
Kyrenia, the most beautiful town in northern Cyprus with the perfect horseshoe harbor enclosed by the Venetian and Byzantine fortifications and the Kyrenia Castle housing the most complete ancient shipwreck in the world, the 4th century BC trading vessel with its original cargo, is the most compelling single heritage site in northern Cyprus and the most visited destination accessible from Nicosia by the crossing point. The Kyrenia Mountain range behind the town creates the backdrop of limestone pinnacles visible from the harbor.
- 4
Akamas Peninsula: The Wild West of Cyprus
The Akamas Peninsula on the northwest coast of Cyprus, the most ecologically significant nature reserve in the Republic of Cyprus protected as a national forest and a Natura 2000 site, preserves the endemic Cyprus mouflon habitat, the loggerhead and green sea turtle nesting beaches, and the most pristine marine environment in Cyprus in the Avakas Gorge and the Baths of Aphrodite coastal trail landscape. The turtle nesting monitoring at the Lara Bay protected area, managed by the Cyprus Wildlife Society, is the most significant marine conservation effort in the eastern Mediterranean.
- 5
Commandaria: The World's Oldest Wine
Commandaria, the sweet amber dessert wine produced from the sun-dried Mavro and Xynisteri grapes in the Krassochoria wine villages of the Troodos foothills since at least 800 BC and mentioned by Hesiod in the 8th century BC, is the oldest named wine in continuous production in the world. The name Commandaria was given by the Knights Templar who established the wine trade during the Crusader period, and the wine won the first wine competition in history, the Battle of Wines organized by French King Philip II Augustus in 1224.
- 6
Nicosia Practical: The Two Currency Capital
The practical guide to Nicosia requires the understanding that the city functions as the capital of two political entities: the Republic of Cyprus which uses the Euro and is an EU member state, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus which uses the Turkish lira and is recognized only by Turkey. The crossing at Ledra Street requires the EU or other passport, takes 5 minutes at the UN checkpoint, and allows the visitor to move freely within the northern sector until the return to the south through the same crossing point.