Varosha ghost town story. Varosha is a dead city in northern cyprus. Closed military zone
Do you know that you can get to Turkey without leaving Cyprus? It is possible.
Today I will tell you how we visited the Republic of Turkey Northern Cyprus, in the city of Famagusta, and what happens to the cities that people left.
It is not difficult to enter the TRNC - you fill out a questionnaire at the border, a mark is put in it (entry-exit), and no marks are put in the passport.
And here we are in Famagusta.
Moreover, the Greek Cypriots call this city Ammochostos, and the Turkish Cypriots call it Magus.
We pass the Victory Monument depicting the struggle of the Turkish Cypriots of Famagusta for many years for their land. 
Here I first learned that Cyprus was Railway.
The first steam train is immortalized on a pedestal. 
And now, my dears, we are at the Varosha quarter.
I will make a reservation right away, you cannot shoot with a camera here, so all the images presented below are drawings from memory. 
This quarter of the city, surrounded by a fence and barbed wire, was the richest and developing resort 45 years ago.
All European bohemia was having a good time here. Dozens of the richest hotels and casinos stood along the coast. 
But in July 1974, in response to the coup d'état in Cyprus, when power passed to the pro-Greek military organization that advocated the annexation of Cyprus to Greece, Turkey sent regular troops to the island. 
Having declared that the territory belonged to them historically, the Turks gave Greek Cypriots a day to evict from their homes. You were only allowed to take with you what you could carry with you ... 
By clearly visible bullet holes, the "evacuation" was not at all peaceful.
Before the invasion, the Turks carried out air raids, while, according to the words local residents, used bombs courtesy of the states.
It is said that during the invasion several thousand Greek Cypriots were killed and disappeared. 
The quarter, after the "cleansing", was plundered. The crosses from the churches have been taken down.
Later, the territory was surrounded by a fence.
Until now, the issue of the return of Greek Cypriots, or the settlement of the territory by the Turks has not been settled. Turks and Greeks insist on their terms.
According to a 1984 UN Security Council resolution, it is stated: "Attempts to populate any part of the Varosha quarter with anyone other than its residents are unacceptable." 
In general, all this caused a heavy feeling for me.
I will never understand for sure: why a developed civilization cannot resolve peacefully all the contradictions and difficulties among those living on Earth?
Think at your leisure.
And for me, the main memory of Varosha now is this parking lot of the children's school bus ... 
The land is overgrown, buildings are crumbling. 
Soon, to the delight of the Turks, nothing will be visible from behind the fence. 
By the way, this neighborhood does not prevent them from settling in right behind the road.
Personally, I could not even sleep well next to this place. 
Our further route was supposed to somehow dispel the negative from what we saw.
We are going to the sea. 
What a beautiful house!
It turned out to be the cottage of the richest inhabitant of Famagusta. Before the Turkish invasion.
And the barracks of the elite Turkish special forces after ... 
We are approaching the sea. 
An abandoned hotel complex meets us with a positive picture of a partially destroyed wall from a direct hit from an aerial bomb. 
There are such posters everywhere.
Let me remind you that these are all sketches! 
What's behind the fence ... 
We went to the shore.
This is head removal, guys ...
Vacationers-tourists and empty eye-sockets-windows of abandoned hotels ... 
The sea and the beach are of course simply magnificent here ... 
It is not for nothing that these places are called "Golden Sands" of Famagusta.
The sand really does have a golden color. 
The water is disgustingly warm! 
In the booth there is a border guard with a machine gun.
Flags of Turkey and TRNC.
Behind the fence - devastation ... 
In the other direction, everything is all right ...
This Turkish 5 * hotel is operating.
Famous for having rested in it varlamov.ru
Indeed, a little curly .. 
I went to the pier. Barefoot.
I almost burned my feet completely on brown planks ... 
But the views from there are wonderful. 
...
But still these empty hotels .... 
I couldn’t put it into my head. 
Although, those who rest here all the time do not seem to be soaring anymore ... 
By the way, a tremendous hello to the girls from St. Petersburg! 
Ahead is the historical part of the city - the Famagusta fortress with its bastions and many temples.
But about this - another time ... 
Until next time!
Famagusta and the gated area of Varosha
Varosha (Greek Varosia, tour Maras) is a quarter in the city of Famagusta in Cyprus. It was a popular tourist destination before the Turkish invasion and later became a "ghost town".
In the 1970s, Famagusta was the main tourist destination in Cyprus. Due to the growing number of tourists in the city, many new hotels and tourist facilities were built, and especially many of them appeared in Varosha. In the period from 1970 to 1974, the city was at the peak of its popularity and was recognized by many famous people of that time. Stars who visited him included Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Raquel Welch and Brigitte Bardot. Varosha was home to many modern hotels, and its streets were full of entertainment facilities, bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
On July 20, 1974, the Turkish army invaded Cyprus in response to a political coup in the country, and on August 15 of the same year, the Turks occupied Famagusta. As a result of these actions, the country was split into two parts: Greek and Turkish. The Greeks who lived in Varosha were evacuated and since then they have been prohibited from returning there. Journalists were also banned from entering the area. Thus, the quarter is frozen in time, with shops filled with clothes that were fashionable 35 years ago and empty but fully equipped hotels. Since no repairs have been made there during all this time, all buildings are gradually being destroyed. Nature is gradually recapturing its territories again, as the metal rusts, and numerous trees and other plants fill its streets. Swedish journalist Jan Olaf Bengtson, who visited the Swedish battalion of UN peacekeeping forces and saw the closed area, called it a "ghost town":
"The asphalt on the streets is cracked from the heat of the sun, and bushes are growing in the middle of the road. Now, in September 1977, dining tables are still set, clothes are still hanging in the laundries, and lamps are still burning. Famagusta is a ghost town."
Everyone knows about Pripyat - a city abandoned by people after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. But only a few are aware that such a dead locality exists not only in the forests in the north of Ukraine, but also on the island of Cyprus. We are talking about the Varosha region - the once fashionable Mediterranean resort, which in a matter of days turned into a ghost.
The fact is that on the small island of Cyprus two states are now forced to exist in parallel - the Greek and the Turkish. They were not a single country for long, in the period from 1960 to 1974, after gaining independence from Great Britain and before the outbreak of the Civil War.
The latter was caused by the growth of nationalist sentiments of the Greek Cypriots, which led to a military coup and the announcement by the junta of the annexation of Cyprus to Greece. Turkey, one of the guarantors of the country's independence, did not hesitate to send its troops to protect the Turkish population of the island.
During the unfolding war, the ghost town of Varosha appeared. Before the conflict, it was one of the most popular and luxurious resorts in the region, which attracted wealthy people from all over the world, including music and film stars. However, in 1974, the area was in the line of fire, and the authorities were forced to evacuate the local population, consisting mainly of Greeks.
People left their homes, thinking that it was only for a few days until the conflict was resolved. But history had other plans for that. For almost 40 years, Varosha has been standing empty, surrounded on all sides by a fence guarded by Turkish troops and UN peacekeepers.
Once luxury hotels and villas are empty and crumbling, they stand without windows, without doors and without furniture inside. Vegetation makes its way through the asphalt and turns Varosha into a dense forest with separate military roads cleared by hands for patrol cars.
And, most interestingly, in the immediate vicinity of the abandoned quarters, there are quite inhabited areas of the city of Famagusta (Turkish part of Cyprus), including several coastal hotels. And the beach of one of them bites its appendix into a ghost town, fenced off from it by a fence of black matter. At the same time, the border passes only a few tens of meters from sun loungers and umbrellas.
Annan's plan in 2004 called for the return of Varosha to the Greeks, but in the end this did not happen, because it was rejected by the Greek Cypriots.
Varosha is mentioned in Alan Weisman's book "The World Without Us" as an example of the irrepressible forces of nature.
The beach in Famagusta is the best in Cyprus - with fine sand and clear water. Despite this, the beach is not crowded. 
When I pointed the camera at the abandoned hotels in Varosha, one of the vacationers immediately approached me, and pointing to the towers located along the perimeter of the fence, advised me not to shoot - it's forbidden! 
We drove around the block, along the fence. In some places, the fence is low, and there are no guarded towers around at all. I was so attracted to sneak into the territory and make a photo report. But the fellow travelers stopped him. First, they say the territory of Varosha is still mined in many places. Secondly, the soldiers guarding Varosha are very determined. I am sure that having noticed the violator, they will not observe political correctness and diplomacy. The problems can be extremely serious. 
Varosha makes a depressing impression. The spirit of hopelessness soars around, which extends to the whole of Famagusta. The complete opposite of Cyrene:
To change our mood, we visited the main attraction of Famagusta, the Cathedral of St. Nicholas.
The Cathedral of St. Nicholas is the main medieval temple of the city of Famagusta on the east coast of Cyprus. Built in the 14th century on the model of the late Gothic Reims Cathedral by the Cypriot kings of the Lusignan dynasty. It is called in travel brochures.
The cathedral was consecrated in 1328 and has since been used by the Lusignans for the crowning of the Jerusalem throne. During the siege of Famagusta by the Turks in 1571, it was badly damaged by cannon fire. The Turks destroyed the figurative sculptural decoration of the temple and turned it into a mosque, which they began to call it. Frequent earthquakes caused considerable damage to the preservation of the building. In 1954, it was renamed the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque in honor of the military leader who commanded the siege of Famagusta in 1571. 
When it got dark, we left the territory of Northern Cyprus through the checkpoint located at Famagusta. Finding him was not easy. No signposts, no further information. Lost in some inconspicuous village, I had to turn to local residents for help. As a result, they found it.
At the checkpoint, our passports were checked as standard, we briefly inspected the car and, having slapped the stamp into the insert, let us go in peace ... an hour and a half later we were already in Limassol.
Here was a city, here was a resort ...
There is such a famous place in North Cyprus - Famagusta. Once upon a time there were the best beaches on the island, and real estate in the fashionable Varos district is the most expensive in Cyprus. But that was once. Now Varosha is a dead city, which was abandoned by ABSOLUTELY all residents and in which it is strictly forbidden for anyone to be. It is forbidden even to photograph the fence and what is visible through the fence, under the threat of imprisonment!
All that is at the moment is the result of the confrontation between greed and pride. And it's not about ancient times, but about the 20th century. First, a coup d'etat took place in the country and the president was removed from power. Then another state brought its troops into part of its territory, annexing them and calling it a "peacekeeping operation." At the time when someone flew into space, there was a civil war on the island. Short but tragic. As a result - divided cities, destroyed destinies, unrecognized territories and a "ghost town" ...
2. It is no exaggeration to say that the beaches in Famagusta are the best in Cyprus, with fine sand and clear water. The ancient Greeks were the first to appreciate this, behind them were the Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Romans, Venetians and the Ottomans for the longest time, they already knew a lot about pleasures ...
Including for the beaches, the "tasty" island has always been the subject of claims of the closest neighbors - Greece and Turkey. This was intensified within the insular confrontation of two ethnic groups - Cypriot Greeks and Turks, Orthodox Christians and Muslims. However, ethnic differences did not prevent local residents from living peacefully side by side, growing olives together and building their own state. Independence from Great Britain, which since 1925 considered Cyprus as its colony, a small but proud country received in 1960.
Given this nature and climate, it is logical that tourism has become the main branch of the Cypriot economy. In just a few years, the oldest port in the southeast of the island of Famagusta (Greek Ammochostos, tur. Gazimagosa), stretching for 4 km along the coast of the bay of the same name, became a fashionable resort. Especially famous was its modern prestigious quarter on the coast - Varosha (tour. Maras). In addition to nature, Famagusta had more to surprise tourists: the remains of ancient Salamis, the largest Hellenic polis in Cyprus, a Venetian fortress, an Armenian monastery, and several Gothic churches. All this, together with the climate, sandy beaches and the Mediterranean Sea, was enough for Varosha to transform into the local Cote d'Azur.
3. This is what Famagusta looked like
4. But that was more than 40 years ago ... What about now? Is the surrounding ruins the very prestigious resort? 
5. Now it bears the name - "dead city" Famagusta ... Although, in fact, Famagusta is by no means a dead city - tourists relax on the beach next to the fence and look through the lenses of its suburb Varosha, which was once a fashionable resort with a predominantly Greek population, and now a "ghost town", a vivid testimony to the contrast and advantages of "legal" Cyprus over "illegal", is guarded by the Turkish army and is a restricted area.
It became ... 
6. It was ...
7. In 1974, the Greek military attempted a coup d'état, resulting in the establishment of the dictatorship of the "black colonels" in Cyprus, which became a convenient excuse for Turkey to send its troops to the island. The Turks declared about the occupation of about 30% of the island (this is the ratio of Greeks and Turks that existed at that time). But in three days, Turkish troops occupied almost 40% of the territories, including Famagusta with Varosha. One of the results of the division of the island into Turkish and Greek halves was the appearance of a "ghost town" on its map. Dozens of high-rise hotels, sanatoriums, residential buildings and private villas were abandoned in an instant, surrounded by barbed wire and placed at the disposal of looters and nature for many decades.
View of Varosha from the beach. You can still get here. Under the two flags of Turkey and the unrecognized republic of Northern Cyprus, the post where the sentry usually sits. 
8. Green grid demarcation and warning poster. The entrance to the closed area is allowed only to the military of Turkey and the UN. 
9. This is a former postcard view of the current ghost area as seen from the beach in the open part of Famagusta. Hotels Aspelia, Florida, the TWIGA residential complex and the Salaminia hotel ... Concrete boxes with empty floors - this is how they look now. 
10. Tourists from all over Europe aspired to Varosha, celebrities acquired mansions. One could only dream of buying real estate in this area. The quarter was the economic center of the Famagusta region and the entire southeast of the island. His hotels were so popular that the most fashionable rooms were booked by the prudent Germans and the British right up until 2007 (!!!). 
11. Golden Sands, Grecian, Argo, King George, Asterias - these and other hotels in Varosha, lined up along the front street named after John F. Kennedy, formed the new modernist face of Famagusta. The infrastructure developed rapidly, striving to meet the needs of the wealthy public - luxury apartments, expensive shops, recreation areas. From all this now there are only old bright postcards that tourists, who have found the golden decade of the city, managed to buy as a keepsake or send to relatives who were unlucky to be in Varosha. 
12. Fences are laid along the former beach and go into the sea. 
13. Everywhere fences and barbed wire. 
14. Not only streets, but also buildings are divided. On opposite sides of the border. 
15. Famagusta found itself in the Turkish sector, and Varosha, its resort area, closely adhered to the Green Line, a buffer demilitarized zone controlled by UN forces and dividing the island into Greek and Turkish parts. Mostly Greeks lived in Varosha and owned most of the hotels here - for them the war for Cyprus ended almost overnight. 109 hotels and residential complexes district, capable of receiving about 11 thousand guests, instantly emptied. 
16. Local residents (and at that time there were more than 35 thousand) for a swift evacuation, and in fact, flight, were given 24 hours to leave the city. They left, fully confident that they would return in a maximum of two weeks. But 40 years have passed since then, a whole generation has grown up, and the opportunity to re-enter their home for none of them has not yet appeared. 
17. There is evidence that this area has undergone total plunder, since it was here that the main center of beach tourism of the entire island was concentrated and wealthy Greeks lived in their villas. All of them, leaving the city during the day, the Turks were allowed to take with them only what could fit in two bags. 
18. All the petrol stations in Famagusta belonged to the Petrolina company, the Greek oil monopoly of the time. 
19. In places the Green Line dividing Cyprus is a series of metal barrels. For 40 years, they managed to rust, and the line of division of the island itself is not so insurmountable - after the accession of Cyprus to the EU, the EU law on free movement was extended to the island, after which three additional checkpoints were opened between the south and north. People who have not seen their own houses since 1974 were given the opportunity to return to their native quarters at least for a while. 
20. Abandoned houses are gradually surrendering under the onslaught of lush vegetation. Not only does the poster prohibit the entrance to the courtyard, but the prickly pear has become a mountain. 
21. Fences are not so impregnable, but penetration into the adjacent territory can be tragic. 
22. From the memoirs of the participants in the events: “August 14, 1974 At 08:00 am the Turks began to bomb the Cypriot capital and the international airport. Famagusta was shelled from the sea, the Turks launched an offensive from the bridgehead in Kyrenia on the road to Nicosia and further to Famagusta. The Turks moved quickly without encountering strong resistance. They seized an international airport near Nicosia and two days later reached the border of the division of Cyprus (the "Attila" line), which was previously assumed by the Turkish government. At the same time, they managed to establish control over the ports of Famagusta, Bogaz and Morphu. On August 17, the Cypriot government announced that Turkish troops occupied about 40% of the island's territory. About 200 thousand Greek Cypriots were expelled from their homes in northern Cyprus. More than a thousand of them are still missing ”. 
23. These houses, too, will soon become "missing", maybe not without a trace, after all, somewhere the street plans have survived, after all, not the Stone Age, but already irrevocably. 
24. Varosha was bombed, but not too much, apparently, only for the sake of exaggeration. But she became a victim of total plunder by marauders. First of all, these were the Turkish military, who took furniture, televisions and dishes to the mainland. Then the inhabitants of the nearby streets, who stole everything that the soldiers and officers of the occupying army did not need. Turkey was forced to declare the city a closed zone, but this did not save the area from total plunder: everything that could be taken away was taken away. 
25. According to some analysts, the Turks did not dare to settle in Varosha, because almost all real estate here belongs (until now!) To Western capital, and not to the Greeks. They did not want to develop a conflict with the West, but they were in no hurry to give up the territory, leaving it as an element of bargaining in negotiations. 
26. And the negotiations were not alone. They go constantly. But the whole problem is in the document adopted in May 1984 by the UN Security Council - Resolution No. 550, which, in particular, states: "Attempts to populate any part of the Varosha quarter with anyone other than its inhabitants are unacceptable." 
27. Where are the former residents? Someone settled in the southern part of the island, someone moved to mainland Greece, who immigrated to the UK and the USA. Return? Probably, they would like to, but in what, who is able to restore it and does it really make sense ... Only the former refugees themselves can answer this. 
28. In 2004, following the accession of Cyprus to the EU, the border between the north and south of the island became more transparent. Many Greek Cypriots went to the Turkish side to see what happened to their homes. There were cases when people returned things and family albums to each other ... 
29. Unlike many other places in Cyprus, where the abandoned houses of the Greeks were occupied by their Turkish neighbors or migrants from Turkey (the Greeks call them Anatolian settlers), the Turks from Famagusta did not settle Varosha. In the form in which the Greek Cypriots once left it, it appears before us even now, as a terrible monument civil war that divided bi-national Cyprus 
30. The city froze in time, which is ruthless to him 
31. Although, officially Varosha cannot be photographed, many people secretly take pictures of her, and there is information that the Turkish sentries themselves contribute to this for a "small reward." Well, those who still managed to visit there and not get caught by the Turkish patrols talk about complete desolation and devastation. That can be seen from behind the fence. Few people know about this, but the former residents there are sometimes allowed to be there inside. Well, it is clear that everything that was left there was taken away. Moreover, there is even one hotel in Varosha. This is a rest house for the officers of the occupying Turkish army. 
32. What can be observed here now gives a strange impression. By the way, there is a steam locomotive on the rails near the Famagusta City Hall. It turns out that there was a railway in Cyprus and it led here. But ... Varosha became a ghost, so did the road. 
33. Tourists come here regularly, and therefore the locals perceive them without surprise. But they warn that those who are caught in the Zone will face a fine of 10,000 euros, or even arrest. You see, in front of the still decent-looking Folkstagen, there are posters on the fence: "Forbidden Zone" or "Know fotoz, know cameras." And these are not horror stories. A striking example. In Famagusta, in early October 2016, near the Palm Beach hotel, a Russian was arrested for ignoring the ban on photographing the closed zone of Varosha by the Turkish military police. The detainee was released on recognizance not to leave with a bail of 1,500 euros. The suspect faces a trial and faces a 5-year prison sentence if found guilty of photographing a war zone. 
34. The network stubbornly cites the story of the Swedish journalist Jan Olaf Bengtson, who visited a closed area with UN soldiers, and was the first to call Famagusta a "ghost town", about laid dining tables, linen that is still dried on ropes in some places, price tags in shops and bars in 1974. But it was written in 1977 !!). They just forget about it. In fact, in Varosha, there is nothing but rusty scrap metal, crumbling concrete, which has filled all the vegetation.
Photo from here
35. On the border street, you can also find this - in fact, the remains of a skeleton next to quite "live horses". 
35. It is difficult to get used to the sight of a city divided right along the street. But even in such a pretty devastated state, Varosha has a lot of interesting things, including for those who appreciate the "abandoned". For example, 1970s cars abandoned in garages and on the streets (including an entire Toyota fleet in a former dealership). But, alas, it is now much easier to get to Pripyat, occupied by radiation, than to the quarters of Varosha. 
36. On one side there is a fence made of barbed wire, in some places already thoroughly crumpled, behind which there are residential houses and roses grow, and on the other - almost the same houses, near which the Turks sit and swarthy children run around. 
37. Oddly enough, there is an opinion that the Greeks benefited mainly from the division of Famagusta. Until 1974 the most famous resorts were located precisely on the Turkish side, but even the unrecognized status of the TRNC proclaimed in 1983 did not help to attract tourists to this part of the island. A prime example of this is the former fishing village of Ayia Napa on the Greek side, which has become tourist centre Cyprus, and the once fashionable Varosh became a "ghost town". 
38. According to experts, alas, many buildings in Varosha are no longer amenable to reconstruction and restoration. 40 years of oblivion, the consequences of the actions of the military and looters, the weather and nature pass a harsh sentence on the area. Even if the situation on the island returns to normal and local residents return home, a significant part of the houses, especially high-rise ones, will have to be demolished here. 
39. It is estimated that 100 billion euros are needed to restore Varosha. It is clear that it is almost impossible to find such money, and recently an alternative project has appeared. In early 2016, in the village of Derinya, from where the full volume of disasters in Varosha can be seen, the Ecocity project was presented - a new eco-city on the site of the “dead”. The initiator is director Vasia Markides, a Cypriot woman whose family fled from Varosha to the United States in 1974. The plan for the restoration of the region is, of course, very approximate, since specialists do not have access to the site of the planned construction. By promoting the project, they believe they will be able to accelerate the resort's revival. But whether it will be, and most importantly - when, no one knows! 
40. Attempts to solve the problem of the so-called Northern Cyprus each time run up against one problem: the Turks insist on the recognition of the independent state of the TRNC, the Greek Cypriots remind of their real estate left in the occupied territory.
#ButCyprusTurkish 
Varosha is a district of the city of Famagusta. In the sixties and seventies, it was the most popular resort in Cyprus and one of the most popular holiday destinations in the entire Mediterranean. The beach, 4 kilometers long, was built up with brand new hotels, the most luxurious and modern at that time. There were nightclubs, shops, markets, expensive private villas.
But 1974 came, a military coup took place in Cyprus, committed by Greek nationalists who dreamed of reunification with the metropolis, in response to it, the Turkish army landed on the island and occupied its northeastern part. In particular, Varosha fell under the Turkish occupation. The Greek population in a hurry left the area, leaving inside things, furniture, everything, everything, everything acquired by back-breaking labor. Then it seemed to them that they would return here in a few days. But 37 years have passed, and the city is still empty.
The Turkish army cordoned off it, surrounded it with a fence and set up observation points around the perimeter. In addition, there are UN posts inside. In general, hundreds of people do not understand why they are guarding an absolutely empty city.
Recently, there have been plans to transfer Varosha to the Greek side for reanimation of a world-class resort here on the condition that the majority of jobs there will go to the Turkish Cypriots. However, so far these are only plans, and it is not known when their implementation will begin.
And now there is one hotel inside this area. It houses a rest house for officers of the Turkish army.
There are stories on the Internet that life in Varosha froze in 1974, that there are still furniture in the hotel rooms and rooms of private houses, shops are full of goods, and on the tables there are plates of food left by the Greeks fleeing in panic during war.
But all this is completely untrue. Rather, it was all true, but in 1977, 3 years after the Turkish invasion, when the Swedish journalist Jan Olaf Bengtson visited Varosha, the words from whose article are still quoted on many websites and in many reports.
But for more than thirty years, everything has changed a lot. Now Varosha is completely deserted. Everything that could be taken out of there, everything was taken out. Moreover, both the Turkish military and the former Greek population of the area (few people know, but the former residents are allowed to be inside from time to time).
I must say that the ghost town of Varosha is not limited to a fence with warning signs on it. Abandoned houses in 1974 are found on the way to it, they surround the area, like satellites surround the planet. Moreover, it is completely incomprehensible why one house is abandoned, and the other is not. The point is not only in the right of ownership (the Turkish population in 1974 carried out a lot of self-seizures of residential and administrative buildings).
Detached abandoned office building
Most of the surroundings of Varosha look very unpresentable. However, it also happens the other way around. For example, we went to the fence of this area along a busy city street with administrative and office buildings on it. They walked and walked and suddenly noticed that behind the roundabout ahead, houses with empty windows and a fence were already visible.
And this is not easy to do! The fence winds heavily. Sometimes he goes around buildings and entire blocks of residential buildings, teeth biting into the body of a dead city.
Since 1974, two generations of people have grown up here, for whom this state of affairs is commonplace, who are used to not looking at the other side of the fence at all, ignoring the existence of the dead Siamese twin of their native Famagusta. Therefore, our appearance on these non-tourist streets is of interest. True, silent. People glance furtively in our direction, trying not to betray their curiosity, and shrug their shoulders, completely not realizing what we have forgotten here.
I have already said: everything that could be removed from the territory of the region, everything was removed. But this cannot be said about the adjacent territories. The streets here are full of half-rotten cars that last moved from their place in the notorious 1974 year. And in one of the lanes, we were lucky to find several boxes with empty bottles of foreign soda, standing still for 37 years.
Some collectors would chew off their hand for this treasure, but here nobody cares about them. The bottles were filled with rainwater long ago. And some drinks, the labels of which are stuck on the container, no longer exist at all!
What a flimsy fence. - This is Storm speaking to me. - You can easily jump over.
But I didn't have to jump. In one of the dead ends, near some warehouses, I find a decent size gap between the fence bars.
- Get in! - I offer Storm and Fomka, but for some reason they refuse.
OK! I take off my bag and climb into the gap myself.
A barely noticeable path goes into the depths of the quarter from this gap.
In general, there are several photos and video reports on the Internet from stalkers who managed to walk along the streets of Varosha. Apparently, I discovered just one of the entrances they use inside.
It’s scary to go further, I don’t know any rules of behavior here, or safe paths, I don’t know anything at all. Therefore, I take a photo as a souvenir and return to the "mainland".
Mission accomplished! I was in Varosha!
For a note. Fortunately, I did not dare to go further. Upon arrival, I found the place of my penetration into Varosha on Google Earth and discovered that a hundred meters from “my” hole in the fence there is the main entrance to this ghost town. And there are armed soldiers. I wish I could run into them! Laughter would be ...
In some ten minutes we will go out along the city street just in time for this post. I will go straight to the dugouts with soldiers armed with machine guns, we will cross our eyes, I will take a minute to examine the street, blocked by a barrier, going into the area, turn around and go further along the fence.
In another five minutes we will go to the central stadium of Famagusta, located at the very outskirts of the dead city.
Cathedral in the background despite the good appearance, is already in the fenced area
We pass through the stadium and find ourselves in a line of sight from the famous Palm Beach. From here you can already see three skyscrapers on the very coast of the sea, which were once hotels, and now are the "calling card" of Varosha. Their image is replicated in all articles dedicated to this amazing place.
Palm itself Beach Hotel is currently under reconstruction. However, the beach at its foot is quite accessible to visitors. There are modern sun loungers, a shower, a changing room, a cafe. And all this right next to the fence, behind which there are empty hotels.
But first we go not to the beach itself, but to an old dilapidated pier protruding from it into the sea.
There are already a dozen people on the pier. Mostly local. All of them are photographed against the background of the sea. We don't give a damn about the sea yet. We are photographed against the backdrop of abandoned hotels receding into the distance, lined up along the coast.
Wow! - Says Storm, seeing the panorama that opens from the pier. He only knew about Varosha that this area exists. And our walks along the fence with one-two-story houses on the other side did not inspire him much. And here is such a sight!
We go down from the pier to the beach. It's time to swim in the sea again. Moreover, such beauty is around!
On the beach I hear Russian speech out of the corner of my ear. Judging by the accent, Moscow. I go up to them, say hello, ask if they paid for the sunbed, and if so, how much.
- Two euros. - Muscovites answer. It is now clear how much money is spent on the beach infrastructure.
No! No sunbeds! Let's settle in the sand.
Oh, what sand is there! Small, clean, pleasant to the touch. Now it is clear why this resort was so popular at the time. With such and such wonderful sand! I read on the Internet that the sand here is one of the best on the entire Mediterranean coast.
After swimming, I walk along the shore to the very fence that blocks the beach perpendicular to the water and separates the living city from the dead. The guard post of the Turkish army rises above this fence.
I stare at the ruined buildings on the other side of the fence, the washed-out beach and shore, glance at the booth, wondering if anyone is watching me now. It seems like nobody.
But this serene silence ends when two Czech guys come up to the fence and try to take a couple of pictures.
- Do not take pictures! - Shouts a man in military uniform who suddenly appeared in the window of the observation post. The Czechs dismount and leave quickly.
- Why not take pictures? - I interfere. - The Internet is full of pictures of Varosha.
- Then why do you need another one? - The soldier parries me unperturbed.
I go back to my friends. We unwind for a while in the rays of the setting sun, take pictures against the background of dead hotel buildings, then get together and go to see the Old City of Famagusta, while it is still light. We couldn't do it yesterday!
In the early 1970s, the city of Varosha (Cyprus) was a very popular tourist destination. At one time such celebrities as Elizabeth Taylor, Brigitte Bardot, Richard Burton and many others rested in this city. Today the city is abandoned. The online magazine Factinteres will tell the sad history of the city of Varosha.
History
Until 1974, Varosha was the most popular resort town in all of Cyprus. At that time, about 39,000 people lived here. However, in 1974 a coup d'etat took place in Cyprus, the consequences of which put an end to the future of the city.
In response to the coup d'état, on July 20, 1974, the military invaded Cyprus Turkish Republic Northern Cyprus (TRNC). On August 15 of the same year, the Turkish military completely captured the city of Famagusta, of which Varosha was a part.
After the attack by the air force, almost all residents of the city fled from the city. The rest of the people fled after the advance of the Turkish army. After the capture, the city was instantly fenced off and it was simply impossible to get here.
Today the city of Varosha remains fenced and guarded by Turkish troops. According to Resolution 550 of the UN Security Council, only residents of this city can enter the city. However, no one wants to return home.
Dozens of hotel buildings rise on the coast of the city of Varosha. In the period from 1970 to 1974, the most popular hotels around the world were opened here. No one expected military action. One of the hotels was even opened 3 days before the outbreak of hostilities. The sudden attack of the military TRNC came as a surprise to everyone.
Until now, in abandoned houses, you can find wardrobes with clothes, various household items. Cars and other equipment are still in the garages. In one of the districts, you can see a tower crane, which at one time was building another large hotel.
Why won't the city be returned?
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According to UN Security Council Resolution 550, only former residents of the city can enter the city. This resolution does not allow the authorities of the TRNC to populate the area, but the inhabitants of Cyprus simply cannot get here. Thus, the city was doomed to complete decay and destruction.
It is believed that the TRNC holds the city as a bargaining chip that can be exchanged for some concessions to Greece. In the meantime, the city is patrolled by the military and any violations of the borders are suppressed. Some violators are shot, some are given impressive prison terms.
What is the future of Varosha?
Many engineers agree that there is no point in restoring the city. It's easier to demolish absolutely all buildings and rebuild them. Roads in the city have become completely unusable, bushes and trees grow everywhere. The power grid infrastructure is outdated, and the sewer system is rotten and decayed. It is possible that the complete demolition and restructuring are hampering the solution of the issue of this area.
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