Nicosia, July 2024, Priamou Road. The road named after the king of Troy belongs to the municipality of Agios Dometios, most of which remains to be occupied. Priamou Road stretches for a size of 10 kilometers and ends at a cease signal. On one facet of it, the homes are inhabited, on the opposite facet not. Deserted disorderly on that bleak day in July 1974, the occupants have been pushed into exile. Then time stopped. And as we speak the highway is beneath the sovereignty of the United Nations.
On this avenue lived Mrs. Katerina, seven months pregnant on the time. Within the “desert” nation” of Priamou avenue the place as we speak one can solely attain from one entry level. Once we get out of the automotive, her look comes alive. She is on the lookout for her house. It detects…
“Chaos, crying, panic”
“Proper right here we noticed the paratroopers, they have been falling by the handfuls” says Mrs. Katerina (left) strolling along with her sister on the road that was their home. Worry returns 50 years later and the nightmare awakens. Of their minds all of the recollections are woke up as if it have been yesterday
“Proper right here we may see the paratroopers, they have been dropping by the dozen” he says in “Step”. “We did not perceive what was occurring. The neighbors have been shouting “cover”. We run and my sisters and I enter a makeshift hen coop, making an attempt to maintain our cool till we work out what precisely is happening. Throughout voices, chaos, cries, panic… The boys at battle, the ladies and kids again.”
On Priamou Road, on the “residential facet of the road”, there are only some residents left. Additionally they left in 1974 however then returned after they discovered that their very own homes had not been occupied. Mrs. Katerina cautiously approaches her home and appears hesitantly by way of the damaged glass entrance door. He sees the mirror, a chair, rusted furnishings, indicators of desecration and abandonment. He grimaces and appears away. She then walks over to the place she and her sister hid that day… She stops and appears. All of the recollections are waking up in her thoughts as in the event that they have been yesterday. Silently and with sluggish steps she walks in the direction of the north. There he meets Mrs. Irini. He lived in the home throughout the road. They’re redoing the suggestions as they’re 50 years away.
Principal Irene and her husband moved to Britain on the outbreak of battle, leaving their house. Nevertheless, when over time they noticed that it was not occupied by the invaders, they determined to show again. Two years had already handed. “We left through the invasion, we got here again, we fought to get our house again – the Turks did not take it, we had a struggle with the United Nations which is throughout the road. This occurred in 1976. Subsequent to our home there was our outpost. It was not beneath Turkish occupation nor precisely within the United Nations zone.” is narrated.
At this time and yesterday
On one facet of Priamou avenue the homes are inhabited, on the opposite facet not
As we cross Priamou Road, it’s as if as we speak meets yesterday. Mrs. Katerina factors to a home she acknowledges: “It belongs to Mrs. Sofia, her son is lacking and the home is deserted,” she says. Worry returns 50 years later, the nightmare awakens. “Do not go additional inside… I am afraid… They will see us… Possibly we’re in peril… Sure, right here on this room we hid… Bombs from the air have been coming from all over the place… A distant relative got here and took us, 13 of us obtained right into a small automotive that was for 2! » she goes on to name on these along with her to not proceed to the Lifeless Zone – the zone beneath the management of the United Nations. “Come again, do not go ahead, the Turks will see us» he says once more, to revive the reminiscence once more: “The hen home had a low ceiling, we ran instantly. I do not understand how many individuals we slot in there, none of us knew what was occurring. I used to be afraid for the infant in my stomach”.
Additional down, we meet Mr. Miltiadis, who lived within the neighborhood. Mrs. Katerina reintroduces herself and Mr. Miltiadis encourages with an exclamation of nice shock. He remembers and recounts… “We hid in the home, turned off the lights in order that they could not see that there have been folks inside, then timidly walked to the adjoining police station… We spent the night time there. We felt protected there, however we could not keep the subsequent day. Thus we returned to our house, which was not occupied by the Turks. We took our issues and left, we gave it up. We could not keep there. We have been afraid. We left, rented in different areas removed from right here. We got here on occasion to see what was occurring, to see in the event that they lastly took our home. After we noticed that it was on the facet that didn’t cross to the conquerors, we returned in 1981. On the alternative facet of the road they took the homes.”
“We stay in concern”
He raises his hand and factors to a spot on the alternative plot. “There they made a trench and the Turks have been strolling. There was additionally the outpost of TURDYK (s.s.: Turkish Cypriot Pressure) and that’s the reason they didn’t proceed to occupy our homes (..). For 43 years now we have been dwelling in concern, however that is our house, that is our property. We had simply constructed our home simply earlier than the invasion once we have been compelled to depart. Once we returned, we discovered it virtually destroyed by the bombs, however we rebuilt it little by little.”
The lifetime of the “critics” continues with the identical photographs. Day-after-day, United Nations automobiles cross exterior their homes, on Priamou Road, and do a verify. “We can not drive previous the doorway of our home. We enter from the again highway. It is paradoxical what we stay, however over time we obtained used to it.”
However on the similar time they fear about tomorrow. Their youngsters have constructed their lives away from Priamou Road. After they depart themselves, the place shall be deserted. The brand new guys do not wish to keep right here. Mrs. Katerina needs to return to her new life, the place nothing bears witness to the invasion, the occupation, the destruction… however inside her, the pictures and recollections stay indelible.
#Cyprus #Turkish #Invasion #Priamou #Road #Nicosia #years #after..
