The Green Line, the UN strip across Cyprus

The Green Line is the first thing Cyprus explains to you without words. A UN strip, sometimes only a few metres wide, cuts the island and its capital from west to east. This is what it is, its route, who lives within it and how to see it safely. Why it exists is set out, with dates, in the Cyprus problem.

What exactly it is

The UN defines it as the buffer zone between the two parts of the island, also called the Green Line. Its northern and southern limits are the lines where the two sides stood after the ceasefire of 16 August 1974, as recorded by UNFICYP. That UN peacekeeping force has been in Cyprus since 1964 and patrols the zone today.

The EU stresses an important point. The Green Line isn’t an external border of the Union, so a 2004 EU regulation sets out how people cross and which goods can pass. For visitors, that means an identity check at the crossings and limits on what you bring back south.

Where it runs

The UN puts the ceasefire lines at about 180 km, from Kato Pyrgos on the north-west coast to Deryneia on the east coast. The width varies a great deal. In old Nicosia it drops to under 20 metres, and near Athienou it reaches about 7 km. Altogether the zone covers around 3% of the island.

In the east it’s interrupted. The British base at Dhekelia breaks the strip, because the UN doesn’t operate there, and Varosha, Famagusta’s former resort quarter, isn’t under UN control either, according to the UN itself. What the bases are and what they mean for you is in the British bases in Cyprus.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Nicosia before prices climb.

Who lives inside

This surprises plenty of people. The UN says there are villages and civil use areas inside the zone where more than 10,000 people live or work, and that civilians can enter those freely. Elsewhere in the zone, any civilian movement needs UNFICYP authorisation. The usual example is Pyla, in the east, where both communities share one village.

There’s danger too. The UN has mapped 47 areas that may still hide mines or explosives, around 1.7 million square metres, so keep to the crossings.

How to see it

I’d see it in Nicosia, where it’s most striking. Walking down Ledra Street to the crossing and peering into the blocked-off side streets explains the division better than any book. On the other side waits north Nicosia. For the nine crossings and how they work, go to crossing to northern Cyprus.

One last tip. Gov.uk advises against photographing military buildings and warns that you could be arrested for it. The old town barricades are visible from the street, but keep your camera away from guard posts and military positions. On the southern side, the Chrysaliniotissa quarter runs right up to the buffer zone.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Nicosia and choose by the reviews.

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Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Nicosia before prices climb.