The Green Line in London’s Green Lanes

Accounts of 1940s Cyprus from the northern village of Kampyli, across the capital of Nicosia and down south to Limassol introduce an island historically populated by ethnic Armenians, Greeks, Maronites and Turks. An instinctive cultural, linguistic and culinary exchange synchronised through centuries of communal living - their differences aside as Cypriots. Emerging in the 1950s and evolving into problems much bigger the decade after, degrees of discrimination against varying ethnic or religious groups became present amongst mixed communities across the island. Colonised by the British Empire who imposed imperialist political tactics, the Cypriots wanted independence and self-governance. Using a divide and rule strategy, the British Empire alongside Greece and the Republic of Turkey stirred up civil unrest resulting in a coup, followed by an invasion. Cypriots were separated based on their ethno-religious identities, with Turkish-Cypriots since inhabiting the north of the island, and Greek-Cypriots populating the south. Due to religious affinity, minorities of the island such as Armenians and Maronites aligned themselves geographically with the Greek-Cypriots, though struggle to find their recognised place in the wider conflict.

Between the 1960s and 1970s, Cypriots displaced from the conflict began to congregate in London’s northern borough of Harringay which had already began preparing for the influx of refugees expected post-1974; living under a British Colony, Cypriots were granted easier access to Britain and both communities settled in well. Division remains alive amongst community centres (which tend to focus on one ethnic group) and naturally through linguistic and religious practices, although civil tensions remain at rest; though supermarkets like Yasar Halim, historically native to Harringay, proudly sell both Turkish and Greek coffee, cheeses and delicacies side by side. Aptly named, the Green Lanes of North London provide a space for Cypriots of all backgrounds to congregate away from the spatial demarcation of the Green Line. The youngest generation, all of whom were born and raised in North London, seek a united Cyprus, with nuanced perspectives on the history of the island and how it’s come to affect future generations. The elder generations with wounds still open recognise the forces that divided their community, but express a lack of confidence in finding a peaceful solution for all.