Nicosia Airport—A Moment Frozen In Time
Nicosia International airport stands abandoned, frozen in time in no man’s land.
The time is August 17, 1974 and the land is the UN buffer zone in Cyprus. Created after Turkey (in response to a Greek-inspired coup attempt) invaded the island, the buffer zone stretches the breadth of Cyprus dividing it into a Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish Cypriot north. The buffer zone is patrolled by UN peacekeepers and caught in its 180 mile strip are villages, farms, cities (including Nicosia, the last divided capital in Europe) and its former airport.
Today the mod 1960s waiting areas and posters advertising the excitement of travel are festooned with 40 years worth of pigeon droppings.
The airport, built in 1968, was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting during the invasion and signs of fighting are still visible—barbed wire enclosures, old bunkers and bullet holes.
On the runway an abandoned Cyprus Airways’ Trident aircraft sits quietly decaying—it was stripped for parts to allow other Tridents to fly out. The tarmac-side parking bay reserved for the US Embassy (the American Ambassador was killed in the US Embassy during the fighting), shows bullet holes and tactical cuts made for firing positions.
In the main terminal, a time capsule of the architecture, advertising and styles of the ’60s and ’70s, a torn poster proudly boasts, “We’ll fly you to the ends of the earth.” The waiting area furniture and colour palettes are “Mad Men” chic recalling a space race era of optimism for the future and air travel.
Airline travel today is stripped of the glamour and promise of adventure offered by the futuristic airport of yesteryear. The jet-setting “Come Fly With Me” era is long gone.
And while we wait and wait in our modern airports, enduring countless delays and frustrations, Nicosia International waits eternally.
Photographer’s note: In some of the interior shots it looks as if the ceiling lights are on. They’re not. These are skylights with the ambient light shining through.
In 1976 I flew from Israel to this airport with my bride to be. It was a confusing time to be sure, but the British soldiers assigned to the airport were friendly and willing to help.
You see, we didn’t have a plan and no reservations for a hotel room. Three very generous men put us in the back of their jeep and took us to the local police station asking if we could spend the night.
Naturally the police thought this was a bad idea and helped us rent a cab for the nearest American embassy.
I have the fondest memories of the people in Cyprus, their generosity and of a country besieged not only from internal differences, but of refugees from the Lebanese civil war.
Thank you for reminding me visually of another time.
Barry
Dear Barry,
Thank you for sharing your story. It has added a depth and makes these pictures sadder still. We really appreciate your comment and thanks for stopping by!
This is a fascinating and very worthwhile post. I think I’ll subscribe to your blog.
Thank you so much for commenting and subscribing!
I would love to shoot there.
I originally read about this on yahoo abandoned places, and was so intrigued I had to look up more information on this. Thank you for sharing and writing about those times. It’s funny you refer to mad men, as I was born in 1975 so truly wouldn’t remember what those times were, but you gave me a great reference to what it was like there when the airport was alive. To Barry^^, great story to add as well.
Brittany, thanks for looking and glad that you felt inspired to look for more information. Thanks for visiting our blog!! DW
On one visit to Cyprus in 1994, I was driving back from my mum and dad’s village in Astromeritis to Larnaca, using the new duel carriageway that had recently been opened. It went passed the airport and there was an exit sign saying Nicosia International Airport, next junction. So I came off and followed the lovely new road for about a mile until the tarmac turned into weeds and potholes. About a mile in the distance I could see the airport and two airplanes abandoned on the overgrown runway. The border was about five hundred yards in the distance and as I approached, the UN guards stopped me and asked what I wanted. I said that I’d taken the turning from the bypass that said “airport.” One guard who I think was Swedish said to me that there is “no airport here” which was strange as clearly there was. Anyway I didn’t argue, I just reversed down the pot holed road until I re-joined the duel carriageway again. Later, I told my uncle and he said that the Cypriot authorities will never accept that the island will remain divided and that when the bypass was built, the signs and turn off were put in place as if the airport still existed, because when the island is unified, the airport will be used again. Twenty years later and the island is still divided as badly as Berlin used to be
Thanks for visiting and the comment. I know the road very well and it is in better condition than when you drove it. However, it is still largely unused except by the farmers who work in the buffer zone. To me, it seems unlikely that the airport will be used again – time has taken its toll on the runway and the buildings.
First of all, I just want to thank you for the beautiful article and photos. I just moved to Nicosia from California, USA to attend the brand new St. George’s University of London medical school campus, not far from this airfield. I was wondering if you could email me with some details on how to best go about exploring the site safely… and discretely. I miss the great urban decay back home in SF! I’d love to get some urban exploring on, while here in Cyprus!! My email is deansrds@gmail.com –> Thanks again!
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Fantastic and interesting photos from a fasinating island, thank you for sharing them
Gary , uk.
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Wow! Truly amazing post! Thank you!
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Woooowww! Incredible pictures! Interesting place!
Thanks. It is quite a spooky place and will sadly probably never be used again.
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These are amazing pictures! They somehow made me think about a book, it is called The World Without Us. It’s a scientific dissertation about what would happen if all of the sudden the planet became “human free”. 🙂
Stunning tribute to man’s stupidity! One question, if I may please? How did you manage to get in or is it an open area now?
This is so awesome. How’ve I never run across it before?
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So haunting. Don’t even have the words to describe this! Can anyone just wander in?
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What a depressing place… but if it’s in a no-man’s land, how did you get in?