Radical renovation: Abandoned Nicosia airport set to become a museum to unite Cypriot communities

Everything came to a sudden halt in July 1974 when the Turkish invasion of Cyprus began.

The last Cyprus Airways aircraft to land at Nicosia airport has remained abandoned ever since, resting where the heart of Cyprus’ air connection with the world once beat.

Now, more than half a century later, a major bicommunal initiative led by ordinary citizens is underway to restore the historic aircraft and transform it into a living, physical and digital museum.

Three years ago, a group of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, led by Alexis Sophocleous, united by a shared sense of duty toward Cypriot history and cultural heritage, entered the airport’s inner premises and operations offices.

They were the first people to set foot there since 1974.

Hundreds of pages of history were recovered—valuable documents, flight plans, and archives of Cyprus Airways that had remained trapped since the day of the invasion.

Alexis Sophocleous and his fellow supporters have secured backing from embassies and international cultural heritage protection organizations in Cyprus.

Now they're ready to operate the museum inside the aircraft, pending approval from the UN and the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).

The aim of the museum is to connect the past with the future, with the group hoping it serves as a tangible symbol of peace, respect, and solidarity.

The vision of the initiative’s supporters on both sides of the buffer zone is for students, researchers, and citizens from every corner of the island to once again meet on this shared ground—under UNFICYP—and grow closer together.