Nicosia: a divided capital in Europe

Abstract

Nicosia is a city designed to be divided across many false lines. The rich history of the city reveals the remnants of foreign intervention that imprinted a multi-cultural background on Nicosia, which -at the same time- erected some artificial lines of segregation. Britain’s colonial rule was crucial in fostering the most contemporary lines of division. A given constitution in 1960 made these lines look inevitable, and by 1964 Nicosia (like many other towns in Cyprus) was already divided on the ground. Turkey’s military invasion in 1974 imposed an even deeper line of division across Nicosia (and Cyprus) that engendered some novel problems which are visible up until today. EU accession stimulated some hope for overcoming division, which is relatively elusive. (author's abstract)