Newsroom
Cyprus will mark its 66th anniversary of independence on Thursday with a military parade in Strovolos attended by senior officials and military representatives from Greece, Britain, Egypt, France and the United States.
The parade begins at 11 a.m. on Iosif Hadjiosif Avenue and will be preceded by a 21-gun salute.
President Nikos Christodoulides will receive the parade salute alongside Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas, Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias and the military chiefs of Cyprus and Greece.
Britain’s Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, will also attend, along with foreign ambassadors, defence attaches, and representatives of the Egyptian, French and U.S. armed forces.
The public parade will include marching and motorized units, as well as aircraft from the National Guard. The Cyprus Police, Fire Service, Civil Defence, Forestry Department and Health Services will also take part.
For anyone travelling through the area, however, the celebrations will mean several hours of disruption.
The following roads will be affected:
- Iosif Hadjiosif Avenue, between Spyrou Kyprianou and Athalassas avenues, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Spyrou Kyprianou Avenue, between the Tseri roundabout and Iosif Hadjiosif Avenue, from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
- Dimitri Vikela Street, between Spyrou Kyprianou Avenue and the roundabout near the GSP, from 6:30 a.m. to noon.
- Perikleous Street, between Iosif Hadjiosif Avenue and Giannitson Street, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Stavrou Avenue, between Iosif Hadjiosif Avenue and Giannitson Street, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
A section of Athalassas Avenue, between Iosif Hadjiosif and Limassol avenues, will also close from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to allow motorized units to leave the parade area.
Drivers travelling into or out of Nicosia are advised to use the Nicosia-Limassol motorway through Limassol Avenue and the Kalispera traffic lights. The ring road near the Tseri roundabout can also be used, along with Ippokratous and Dimitri Christofia streets.
National Guard tanks and other military vehicles will travel between Kornos and the GSP roundabout from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and again from noon to 2 p.m. Drivers should expect slower traffic and follow police instructions.
Where practical, police recommend using the old Nicosia-Limassol road to avoid delays.
And for anyone hoping to photograph the parade from above, there is one firm restriction: drones are prohibited.
