| Gerolakkos | |
|---|---|
| Γερόλακκος (Greek) Alayköy(Turkish) | |
|
Gerolakkos
|
|
| Coordinates: | |
| Cyprus | |
| District | Nicosia District |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
Gerolakkos or Yerolakkos (Greek: Γερόλακκος, Turkish: Alayköy), is a village near Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus.
It was the site of intensive fighting during the Turkish invasion in 1974.[1] Gerolakkos is immediately to the north of the ceasefire line, later known as the Green line, separating Northern Cyprus from the rest of the country.
Nowadays the town has a population of over 5 thousand people, most of whom have been moved there from other parts of Cyprus since the invasion of 1974. It is also the site of Nicosia International Airport, which has been closed since 1974 as it is in the UN buffer zone. Nowadays Nicosia Airport is the headquarters of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).