A HISTORICAL CENTRE OF DOMESTIC COMMERCE
LEDRA STREET COVERING
THE LEDRA STREET CROSSING
A WORTHY VISIT!
Ledra Street, situated in the heart of the old city of Nicosia, is a historic monument in its own right. Covering about 1 km in length, it connects both the south and northern parts of the old town. Today, however, it is split into two by the buffer zone.
This street has historically been a centre of commerce and the busiest shopping street in the capital city of Cyprus. The adjacent centuries-old, narrow streets also lead to the most lively part of the old city. These streets offer several boutiques, bars, and art cafés.
During the struggle for the island’s independence that began in 1955, Ledra Street acquired the informal nickname the ‘Murder Mile’. This was in reference to the frequent targeting of the British soldiers by nationalist fighters along the course of the street.
In 1963, Turkish Cypriots withdrew to the northern part of Nicosia. This occurred after the outbreak of hostilities between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities across the island. This followed after Greek Cypriot leaders attempted to make amendments to the relatively new Cypriot Constitution. This forced Turkish Cypriot leaders to veto and eventually boycott the coalition government.
As a result, various streets, including Ledra Street, were blockaded. This would lead to the northern part of the city eventually becoming one of the several Turkish Cypriot enclaves. These Turkish Cypriot-controlled enclaves were formed throughout the island at the time.
After the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, a buffer zone was established across the island. This buffer zone is known as the ‘Green Line’ and it still separates the northern-controlled Turkish part of the island from the Greek-controlled Republic of Cyprus in the south. The buffer zone currently splits Ledra Street in two.
The Ledra Street crossing was opened on April 3rd 2008. This allows people to legally cross over from either north or south of the island.
