Such was the saying by George Georghiou, which was surrounded by notes and pictures left by visitors of the exhibition entitled 'Sector 2' at the Leventis Municipal Museum.
The exhibition, housed on the second floor of the museum takes you through Nicosia's troubled past, notably the bi-communal troubles of 1956, 1958, 1964 and 1974.
As was explained by the guide, Nicosia before the troubles coexisted peacefully and photographs depict that time as different communities went about their daily routines. The aftermath of World War II and struggles against colonialism in the mid 20th century affected both communities.
The armed struggle of the Greek Cypriots against the British administration widened the distance between them. Organisations calling for partition of the island (taksim) led to clashes, violence and killings. In 1956 the murder of a Turkish- Cypriot auxiliary police officer by EOKA members stirred up violence. As a consequence, the first division of Nicosia was created when the British army placed barbed wire along Ermou Street which separated the Turkish- Cypriot section from the Greek-Cypriot one.
The Clemens or Mason-Dixon line as it was called, did not help to improve relations between the two communities and in 1958 the conflict got worse after the presentation of the Macmillan Plan for a solution to the Cyprus Problem. An attack on the Press Office of the Turkish consulate provoked violence and murders. This also led to a separation of municipalities.
Later, as is explained, stray shootings, house arrests, social isolation and a chilling silence were the characteristics that made up the image of the capital in December 1963.
International pressure led to the creation of a Buffer Zone which was called the 'Green Line.' All houses and shops within the boundaries were abandoned and the area was evacuated. In March 1964 the United Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus arrived. Photographs in the exhibition display what life was like at this time and even includes a bicycle belonging to an Armenian resident, which he took with him when he left his home during the inter-communal riots in December 1963.
Life in Nicosia was tense because of fear of attacks. Turkish-Cypriots quit their jobs and as a result government broke down. Such was the situation in 1964 and tensions remained high. Crisis in schools, the government sector, police and postal delivery services and the inability of Turkish-Cypriots to access medical care, since the Nicosia General Hospital was under the control of the Greek-Cypriots, caused upheaval. There were also shortages of food and other necessities.
Around mid-1965 things began to improve but this was not to last. Dialogue between the two communities did happen in 1968 but it remained incomplete. The Greek junta-led coup against President Makarios on the 15th July 1974 provided a pretext for action by Turkey. On the 20th July 1974, the first phase of the Turkish invasion began and led to the division of Cyprus and the mass displacement of more than 200,000 people from both communities.
According to our guide, it would only take 48 hours to reunify Nicosia into one whole once again. One unanimous decision, one unanimous agreement and the capital could move forward into a united and peaceful future and in the words of Michalis Pasiardes, "This, too is Nicosia's hope for tomorrow. For man-made lines to dissolve, for our city to once more discover her complete face."
Sources: Leventis Municipal Museum
A Guide to the History of Nicosia
