The Green Line in Cyprus

Into the Plain (Southside)

Map 3......The Skouriotissa Mine to Peristerona



From L to R......The Skouriotissa mine, Güzelyurt/Morphou and Peristerona

In this section of the Buffer Zone the mountains are left behind and the zone makes a significant "kink" to leave the Phoenix mine in the southern part of Cyprus and then moves into flatter, more open and cultivated land.



The abandoned village of Agios Nikolaos and a Buffer Zone OP are marked



The "bioleaching" ponds within the Phoenix (Skouriotissa) mine



The view from the rear of the mine overlooking the Buffer Zone area and the abandoned village of Agios Nikolaos.



After skirting the mine, the Buffer Zone moves towards the central plains



The landscape is becoming more open and the UN patrol road can be seen at the 'right hand limit' of the video
The Buffer Zone is approximately 2km wide in this area




Although farming is returning to the Buffer Zone, the area around Kato Koutrafas suffers from a lack of water
The zone narrows here to only 600m wide with the UN patrol road running down the hill from the indicated OP




Bordering the main Nicosia to Troodos road extensive trench systems have been dug with numerous bunkers



This image gives a good sense of the depth of the trench system and is a good example of the sensitivity of the Buffer Zone
The pile of rocks was made by the farmer clearing his land to create a small market garden
The UN repeatedly visited to ensure that it wasn't a new defensive position and to request that the rocks be removed




The view from a National Guard OP behind the market garden with the 'offending stones' clearly visible



North of the village of Peristerona the Buffer Zone is over 4km wide and is heavily farmed.....oranges & arable with many bee hives



The only indication that you are approaching the Turkish side of the Buffer Zone is this (now unoccupied) UN camp
A Turkish OP (out of picture) appears to monitor the area using CCTV 




The dry Peristerona River valley and the UN patrol road that crosses this wide stretch of Buffer Zone.



Bangladeshi workers load oranges that are destined for the nearby fruit juice factory
UN escorts are no longer required for the farmers of either community