Go Local - Nicosia, "Building Bridges"

Explore the lifestyles in the two vastly different sides of Nicosia by crossing the demilitarized zone that separates the Greek side from the Turkish side. Your immersion into local life will begin in Laiki Geitonia, a traditional Greek Cypriot neighborhood in the south. Many of the sandstone buildings date to the 18th century and have been beautifully restored. Then, after stopping for coffee and a sweet known as bougaza, you will walk to the Green Line, the long United Nations Buffer Zone that has divided the entire island since 1974. On the Turkish side of the line, you explore Buyuk Han, a Ottoman-designed 16th-century caravansary that has been restored for merchants to sell their wares once again. This snapshot of local life, along with watching whirling dervishes, will show you that some aspects of Nicosia have changed little. To further understand the divisions within Nicosia, you will converse with two local journalists—one a Greek Cypriot, the other a Turkish Cypriot.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Experience life on both sides of Nicosia, Europe’s only divided capital.
• Explore a Greek Cypriot neighborhood with restored 18th-century buildings.
• Cross the Green Line that separates Nicosia and enter the Turkish side.
• See whirling dervishes and speak to two journalists—one Greek, the other Turkish.