Nicosia

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Nicosia, also known as Lefkosia or Lefkoşa, is the capital of Cyprus. It is the southeasternmost capital city among European Union member states. Its northern part is the de facto capital of Northern Cyprus. Nicosia has been continuously inhabited for over 5,500 years and has been the capital of Cyprus since the 10th century. It is the last divided capital in Europe. Three years after Cyprus gained independence from British rule in 1960, the Bloody Christmas conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots triggered island-wide intercommunal violence, and in 1964, Nicosia's Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities segregated into the south and the north of the city, respectively. A decade later, in 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus just days after a Greek junta-backed coup aimed to unite the island with Greece. Following the invasion the island was split between Cyprus in the south and a Turkish-occupied zone in the north, with the dividing line running through Nicosia. Apart from its...

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