There hasn't been a flight to leave this airport in over 40 years. It's trapped in time, inside a buffer zone that divides two Cyprus communities.

A visual reminder for peacekeepers, who were first brought to the island in 1964 to control hostilities between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) FRENCH CANADIAN PEACEKEEPING VETERAN, ALAIN FORAND, SAYING:

"It's a bit strange, because you would like to have come back where everything would be settled."

To protect Turkish Cypriots, Turkey invaded the island in 1974 in response to a Greek inspired coup.

Turkish Cypriots took the north of the island before a ceasefire was called. Greek Cypriots fled to the south.

And the United Nations established a buffer zone between the two communities… cutting through the island.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING FORCE SPOKESMAN, MICHEL BONNARDEAUX, SAYING:

"All of these buildings haven't changed, they have just eroded away over