Cyprus : a brief photography report
Cyprus Island is divided into two , with North Cyprus and the Republic of Cyprus in the south . North Cyprus has been occupied by the Turks since 1974, and declared itself as Turkish Republic of North Cyprus. This island is divided as a result of inter communal clashes , between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots . United Nation has created Buffer Zone of Cyprus ( demilitarised zone ) that stretches 180 kilometres from west to east side of the island , as a peaceful solution to avoid any tensions . This is right after we passed the Ledra Palace within the boundaries of the UN Buffer Zone , crossing the border to the northern side of Cyprus .
UN Buffer Zone No man’s land , frozen in time. Abandoned building somewhere near the Ledra Palace .
The UN Buffer Zone was established on 1964 , and for 30 years any crossings were banned among the Cypriots, and very limited for the foreigners. But on 2003, they started to allow people to travel , crossing the border, with two crossings are in Nicosia. This picture was taken at the passport control in between the south part of Nicosia and the north one.
On the other side of Cyprus. Lefkosa, the de facto state of Northen Cyprus, governed by self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus municipalities.
Where they sell tea , spices and everything nice
Arasta Sokak : the Arasta area is one long main street with several intersections and ends up at the Lokmac覺 Border Crossing, selling various goods from clothing and jewellery to antiques and authentic Cypriot artefacts, to the every day typical high street shop selling household goods, electronics and the like.
Coffee Cup The foam takes shape Like a tangled secret Brings peace to heart Just like a true verse The eye and heart fiddle Like a ring of clouds The addicted man’s pipe Plays a sip of pleasure Colour and odour meet In porcelain cups Many shapes come together In sweet excitement The news is not good Coffee grains speak one by one Foaming in the coffee pot Yet a different beauty in the cup A long path filled with pleasure Passion, thoughts, imagination Every night in a lifetime Fortune in a coffee cup Urkiye Mine Balman Translated by Nazan Okcun “North Cyprus My Way“
Cyprus Coffee
Urbicide Melancholia “We used to enjoy this place because it was arousing in the sense that nobody cared about it anymore�- Denisa Kollarova
Abandoned Hotel at Baf Caddesi Walking along the Baf Caddesi , noting the empty buildings and eerie atmosphere of the frontier of the UN Buffer Zone
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This is where i find the beauty in the ruins;
the decaying memories, as a poignant reminder of the past.
a suspended state: visible and invisible, forgotten and monumentalized.
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“Have you ever crossed the border , to the other side ? “ She said , “ Never . I would never go there “ A Greek Cypriot lady , whom we met at the Shakolas Tower viewing point , with teary eyes , trying to show us her ruined village somewhere in the Buffer Zone .
Ledra Street : is a major street in central Nicosia, Cyprus, which links North Nicosia, the part of the city under the control of the de facto Northern Cyprus, and south Nicosia
Bandabuliya : A local market that offers local produce from Turkish Delights to fresh fruit , with the sights of local mens that have their table of coffee and backgammon.
A Greek Cypriot man and his furniture workshop. South Nicosia, Cyprus
Pyla Village, the only village to be entirely in the UN Buffer Zone in Cyprus. Where the Turks and the Greeks live peacefully together.
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Photography by ESHAHASHIM ŠESHAHASHIM 2015 All right reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise , without prior permission of ESHAHASHIM . eshahashim@icloud.com +44 7477 364 231 https://eshahashim.wordpress.com
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Cyprus
Larnaca / Nicosia / Lefkosa / Girne / Paphos / Limassol / Pyla / Peia
Oct - Nov 2015