Editing Nicosia (section)

===Independence and division===
{{see also|Modern history of Cyprus}}
[[File:Nicosia Eleftheria Ariadnis Street Nicosia Republic of Cyprus.jpg|thumb|Scheme for new pedestrianized streets in old Nicosia implemented after 2004]]
[[File:Nicosia, Cyprus (37581219510).jpg|thumb|Street in Nicosia close to the buffer zone]]

In 1960, Nicosia became the capital of the [[Cyprus|Republic of Cyprus]], a state established by the Greek and Turkish Cypriots. In 1963, the Greek Cypriot side proposed amendments to the constitution, which were rejected by the Turkish Cypriot community.<ref>{{cite web|first=Eric|last=Solsten|url=http://countrystudies.us/cyprus/12.htm |title=The Republic of Cyprus |publisher=US Library of Congress |access-date=18 June 2012}}</ref> During the aftermath of this crisis, on 21 December 1963, [[Cypriot intercommunal violence|intercommunal violence]] broke out between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Nicosia was divided into Greek and Turkish Cypriot quarters with the [[Green Line (Cyprus)|Green Line]], named after the color of the pen used by the [[United Nations]] officer to draw the line on a map of the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nicosia.org.cy/english/lefkosia_istoria_lefkosia1963.shtm |title=Nicosia Municipality |publisher=Nicosia.org.cy |access-date=10 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307020610/http://www.nicosia.org.cy/english/lefkosia_istoria_lefkosia1963.shtm |archive-date=7 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> This resulted in Turkish Cypriots withdrawing from the government, and following more intercommunal violence in 1964, a number of Turkish Cypriots moved to the Turkish quarter of Nicosia, causing serious overcrowding.<ref>{{cite web|first=Eric|last=Solsten|url=http://countrystudies.us/cyprus/13.htm |title=Intercommunal Violence |publisher=US Library of Congress |access-date=18 June 2012}}</ref>

On 15 July 1974, there was [[1974 Cypriot coup d'état|an attempted coup d'état]] led by the [[Greek military junta of 1967–1974|Greek military junta]] to unite the island with [[Greece]]. The coup ousted president [[Makarios III]] and replaced him with pro-[[enosis]] nationalist [[Nikos Sampson]].<ref name="TIME">{{Cite magazine |title=CYPRUS: Big Troubles over a Small Island |date=29 July 1974 |magazine=[[TIME]] |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,911440,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307152514/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,911440,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 March 2008 }}</ref>

On 20 July 1974, the [[coup d'état]] precipitated the [[Turkish invasion of Cyprus|invasion of the island by the Turkish army]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nicosia.org.cy/english/lefkosia_istoria_1974.shtm |title=Nicosia Municipality |publisher=Nicosia.org.cy |access-date=10 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130417134703/http://www.nicosia.org.cy/english/lefkosia_istoria_1974.shtm |archive-date=17 April 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The operation included two phases. The second phase of the Turkish invasion was performed on 14 August 1974, where the Turkish army advanced their positions, eventually capturing a total of 37% of Cypriot territory including the northern part of Nicosia. The fighting left the island with a massive refugee problem on both sides.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4dotrHSZLGUC&q=turkish+invasion+of+cyprus+number+of+people+killed&pg=PA221 |title=The Cyprus Conspiracy: America, Espionage and the Turkish Invasion. By Brendan O'Malley, Ian Craig |date=25 August 2001 |access-date=10 March 2012|isbn=9781860647376 |last1=O'Malley |first1=Brendan |last2=Craig |first2=Ian |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic }}</ref>

On 13 February 1975, the Turkish Cypriot community declared the [[Turkish Federated State of Cyprus]] in the area occupied by Turkish forces.<ref name="NathanShaw212">Malcolm Nathan Shaw, ''International Law'', Cambridge University Press, 2003, {{ISBN|978-0-521-82473-6}}, [https://archive.org/details/internationallaw0000shaw/page/212 <!-- quote="On 13 February 1975 the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus was proclaimed in the area occupied by Turkish forces". --> p. 212.]</ref> On 15 November 1983, Turkish Cypriots proclaimed their independence as the [[Northern Cyprus|Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus]], that is recognized only by [[Turkey]] and seen by the international community as a part of the [[Cyprus|Republic of Cyprus]] but not under its effective control.

On 23 April 2003, the [[Ledra Palace]] crossing was opened through the [[United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus|Green Line]], the first time that crossing was allowed since 1974.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2969089.stm |title=Emotion as Cyprus border opens |work=BBC News |date=23 April 2003 |access-date=21 July 2012}}</ref> This was followed by the opening of [[Ayios Dometios]]/[[Metehan, Nicosia|Metehan]] crossing point on 9 May 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:2LSheATdp40J:www.moi.gov.cy/moi/pio/pio.nsf/All/669FE6D32B5DEEC5C2256DC3002DE05A/%24file/27%2520May%25202003.doc%3FOpenElement+10+May+2003+cyprus+ayios+dometios&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgbI-U9uhq1bVhGCx5BFUodre7oF3QwDE4rsMeeqL649lLXb28-a00aVDd7gys3GDlE3WWZLQxke9bWGMANnv9_-6fqYkKb63ExxQit6UOC274BNZV5EZ-qRxlfpbS3IthcdMkv&sig=AHIEtbRoF8A2rV3CkgSAlD2q9y0lvFX4Pw |title=Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in Cyprus |access-date=21 July 2012}}</ref> On 3 April 2008, the [[Ledra Street]] crossing was also reopened.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7327866.stm |title=Symbolic Cyprus crossing reopens |work=BBC News |date=3 April 2008 |access-date=21 July 2012}}</ref>

From 30 October 2016 and onwards, Nicosia became the only capital city in the world that had two [[time zones]], after the parliament of the [[de facto]] Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus abolished standard time and decided that Northern Cyprus remains at [[UTC+03:00]] year-round, following Turkey's example.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://cyprus-mail.com/2016/09/08/two-time-zones-cyprus-turkey-will-not-turn-clocks-back-next-month/|title=Cyprus to have two time zones, north to follow Turkey in refusing to turn clocks back|work=Cyprus Mail|date=8 September 2016|access-date=25 November 2016|archive-date=8 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108112525/http://cyprus-mail.com/2016/09/08/two-time-zones-cyprus-turkey-will-not-turn-clocks-back-next-month/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://cyprus-mail.com/2016/10/29/clocks-going-back-tonight/|title=Clocks going back tonight|work=Cyprus Mail|date=29 October 2016|access-date=25 November 2016|archive-date=11 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111095723/http://cyprus-mail.com/2016/10/29/clocks-going-back-tonight/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The following year, due to criticism from the Turkish Cypriot public in the north, the Turkish Cypriot government decided to go back to standard time, following the rest of Europe.