The Green Line in Cyprus

Through the Mountains to the Mine

Map 2.......Kato Pyrgos to Skouriotissa (from the south side)

From L to R........Kato Pyrgos, Lefke and Skouriotissa
See also: Through the Mountains to the Mine (Northside)


The area between Kato Pyrgos and south of Lefke must be some of the most rugged and isolated parts of Cyprus.
Many of the positions (Greek/Turkish/UN) are now longer fully manned and the UN use some helicopter reconnaissance.



Halfway along this beach near Kato Pyrgos is the edge of the Buffer Zone with a number of white marker buoys visible in the sea
The next time the Buffer Zone meets the sea is near Famagusta (over 150km away)




The abandoned Turkish Cypriot village of Selemani lies within the Buffer Zone



A little further south and the landscape becomes more rugged and a remote UN OP sits on top of a high isolated ridge




A video showing the isolated UN OP on the high ridge and the location of Selemani



All the tracks heading north from the main road are marked although the Buffer Zone is more than 1km away



Another village, Varisia, lies abandoned inside the buffer zone, the edge of which is marked by a barrier on the LHS of the image
Many fine images from inside the village can be viewed in the first section of this link




Leaving the mountainous area behind, the Buffer Zone approaches more gentle terrain close to the Turkish town of Lefke
In the background is Morphou Bay and, marked, the Skouriotissa copper mine (the oldest operating mine in the world)
A major UN camp monitors this area




An official UN photograph of the camp indicated above  (a reservoir and Morphou Bay are in the background)



The Buffer Zone crosses in front of Lefke (visible in the distance) and diverts behind the Skouriotissa mine