Information
Landmark: Ghost Town of VaroshaCity: Famagusta
Country: Cyprus
Continent: Europe
Ghost Town of Varosha, Famagusta, Cyprus, Europe
Overview
In Famagusta, Cyprus, the abandoned Ghost Town of Varosha-known as Maraş in Turkish-stands silent, its sun-bleached hotels and empty streets a haunting reminder of the island’s division, in conjunction with varosha, once a glittering seaside resort where cafés spilled music into the warm night air, was emptied in 1974 during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and has stayed almost entirely deserted ever since, to some extent From the 1950s to 1974, Varosha stood as one of the Mediterranean’s hottest holiday spots, its white-sand beaches and glittering hotels drawing stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot, along with the streets buzzed with cafés, shops, and nightclubs, pumping life into Famagusta’s economy.But on July 20, 1974, after a coup by Greek nationalists seeking union with Greece, Turkey launched a military intervention, as well as within days, Turkish forces had taken Varosha, just south of the Green Line.When the Greek Cypriot residents fled, the town fell silent, its streets empty under the hot Mediterranean sun, in conjunction with the Turkish military sealed it off, fencing the area and declaring it a military zone that remained off-limits for nearly fifty years.Frankly, In that long abandonment, buildings crumbled, vines split the pavement, and the once-bustling Varosha became a haunting emblem of Cyprus’s unresolved division, what’s more on October 8, 2020, with Turkey’s backing, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus reopened a few streets and stretches of beach, though most of the ghost town is still barred to the public.The move drew swift international criticism, with the UN and countries like Greece and the Republic of Cyprus calling it a violation of Security Council Resolutions 550 and 789, as well as even so, visitors now walk past decayed hotels like the Argo, peer into homes where faded curtains still hang, and wander along a quiet shoreline where waves lap at sand once crowded with holidaymakers.Entry is controlled, ID checks are common, and cameras are banned near military posts, then for many, the experience is surreal-history, loss, and strange beauty bound together in a destination frozen in time, still waiting for a resolution.
Author: Tourist Landmarks
Date: 2025-09-03
