Are completed this year 51 years since the Turkish invasion of Cyprusan event that forever marked the history of the island and its people. The emblematic symbol of the tragedy was the Dome Hotel in Kyrenia, which was converted into a shelter for hundreds of Greek Cypriots, living weeks and months in the midst of anxiety and uncertainty. DW’s detailed report highlights unknown aspects of that dramatic period.

By cosmopolitan resort, battlefield

In the summer of 1974 the KyreniaKnown for her extroversion and vitality, she suddenly turned into the focus of conflict. At dawn July 20, Turkish troops landed on the coast five miles, with air and paratroopers – a operation that ended up occupation of the entire city.

The hotel Domethe most famous of the city, was immediately defined as a gathering point for foreign tourists under the guidance of the UN and foreign embassies. Shortly afterwards, it was the only refuge for them trapped Greek Cypriots who failed to leave Kyrenia.

Survival Shelter and Crisis Management

The early hours found dozens of foreign tourists concentrated in Dome. The British media have already described the situation critical, with the hotel acting as a temporary shield thanks to white sheets on the balconies and a painted British flag on the roof to avoid bombardment.

The next day was decisive: over a thousand Greek Cypriots, with the UN assistance, found refuge in the hotel. A special committee was set up for the organization of residence and security by Director Costas Zambarloukos, Accountant Koko Pantelidis and distinguished citizens of the city. *”An unprecedented situation had to be managed”*, eyewitnesses report.

Soldiers without units and injured arrived daily. The weapons were destroyed, the clothes were burned, and the limited food reserves were distributed with organization and dignity by the hotel’s cellars.

Nights of fear and uncertainty

With the complete prevalence of the Turkish army in the area, the Dome was surrounded. The controls were exhaustive and terrified the incarcerated: “We were carried out long even after midnight. The underage children were crying terrified, “Kokos Pantelidis recalls.

Hundreds of men were arrested and transported either to Adana or to Nicosia detention centers, and many never returned, recording their names on the black lists of missing persons.

Survival, hope and forced separation

In the autumn months, food stocks are exhausted. The Red Cross supplies the dome, but the food is sufficient with difficulty. The incarcerated are forced to even seek help from Turkish Cypriot former colleagues. *”I told him that we had no food in Dome and gave me biscuits and bread boxes”*, Charalambos Charalambous typically narrates.

Until November the drama takes on dimensions. The case of the enclosures arrives at the press and finally, on November 27, the hotel is visited by Glafkos Clerides and Rauf Denktash. In the face of the visit, two hundred chickens and a thousand eggs were distributed, a more move for impressions.

The prisoners asked the leaders simple: to return to their homes. The answer was clear: *”Returning to Kyrenia is impossible. The only option is transfer to the South ‘*. Thus, the lists of departure, even for those who hesitated, began to grow. With constant shots, threats and deprivation, the stay evolved into a nightmare.

The mass exit began in early December. Most describe it as the most painful farewell: *”On these routes from Dome to Nicosia, we said goodbye to Kyrenia forever” *.