A small pedestrian area in the center of Nicosia is fully painted with graffitis, looking like completed works of modern art. There are no graffitis on Nicosian walls like in the Greek cities, apart from a few unaesthetic slogans. Until last year, Pythonos street was overwhelmed by the nightlife pulse, full of tables of neighbouring cafes and bars. This year it was almost abandonded, with just one bar in the end of the road. Most probably, these graffitis will be ruined by the weather conditions of the restorations of surrounding buildings, on the walls of which they are painted. (Photos-Text: George Zafeiropoulos-www.greecewithin.com)

The Archaeological Museum of Nicosia houses magnificent exhibits, through which the Greek roots of the island magically unfold.

A multinational city with an oriental feel, which doesn’t contradict its western finesse. It does not have anything powerfully beautiful but nothing ugly as well. A vibrant society with high wages and government services that serve the people without submitting them to unnecessary bureaucracy. Even though there are many cars, oddly enough roads seem almost empty. The city’s centre has lost its traditional character to a significant extent but offers its visitors remarkable recreational and cultural outlets. It looks like the centre of Greek cities, but is less noisy and significantly less stressful. Organized and serene, it makes life easy for its residents and visitors.

Since 1974 and up until today, Nicosia has been divided in two by barbed wire and fortification works. It is the only European Union capital that has been forcibly divided by foreign occupying troops. The free part of Nicosia has changed and is evolving with leaps but the images in the Buffer (Dead) Zone haven’t changed in almost half a century. The young soldiers of the Cypriot National Guard keep watch in the narrow streets of the dividing zone defending the ideal of freedom. Their fathers did the same. But for the powerful of the world, pacts and maintaining the balance with the intruder seem to be more important than these ideals.

In Nicosia, Cyprus there is a traditional patisserie next to the fortification sacks and barrels that separate the free from the occupied part of the city. Its owner is Thodoris Disios, from the Greek village Kria Vrisi in Giannitsa.