Haunting photographs have revealed the interior of Nicosia International Airport, which has remained untouched for nearly five decades. Once Cyprus's gleaming main gateway, the airport now stands eerily quiet, with terminals and aircraft left to decay as a chilling reminder of the conflict that tore the island apart.
Originally constructed in the 1930s as an RAF base, the facility later became the nation's primary civilian aviation hub. After a Turkish military offensive in 1974, the airport found itself on the front line and suffered extensive damage from bombing raids. A ceasefire designated the site as a United Nations Protected Area, now part of the island's buffer zone.
Commercial operations struggled briefly but ceased entirely by 1977, when three Cyprus Airways aircraft were finally evacuated. The airport has remained virtually untouched since, preserved as a wartime relic. Inside, dust-covered seats and faded advertising displays remain, while pigeons nest in the ceiling beams. On the tarmac, the stripped remains of a Hawker Siddeley Trident lie with bullet-scarred engine components removed.
Despite the cessation of passenger flights, the airport is not completely abandoned. It now serves as the headquarters for the UN Peacekeeping Force (UNFICYP), with helicopters using part of the site. However, public access is severely restricted due to safety concerns and neglect.
Over the years, discussions about reopening the airport have failed due to political divisions. Aleem Siddique, UN peacekeeping force spokesperson, said: "It is actually frozen in time. No planes have left or arrived since 1974." A digital resurrection project by the Cyprus Institute now allows virtual tours, while a local resident who gained special permission described the experience as "eerie, emotional, frustrating, sad" and "a time freeze that should never have occurred."
