Famagusta Ghost Town

Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 in Featured, Misc

Take a look at first two pictures to understand the difference between then and now.

Famagusta, 1974

Famagusta, 2007

You can easily spot the difference: people vanished together with mood and joy of life. Because life has gone. It’s a dead city now. Actually, resort suburbs of Famagusta - Varosha surrounded by miles and miles of barb wire and chain link.

In the beginning of 1970’s Famagusta, town on the east coast of Cyprus famous for it’s ancient monuments and sunny weather, was as popular among tourists as Turkey and Egypt today. Celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot used to love this place. Inspired by the influx of “moneybags” Cypriots started building dozens of modern multistorey buildings, mostly five star hotels, in Famagusta suburbs - Varosha quarter. Fashionable de lux suites were reserved by the British for 20 years ahead! By 1974 this resort has reached the peak of pupularity. In the same year, being blessed by NATO, Turkish troops disembarked there to protect the Turkish minority against persecution of military junta that was lead by the ethnic Greeks. Famagusta also got into the occupation zone (37% of Cyprus territory). The city divided into Greek and Turkish parts and Varosha became a neutral zone. It was decided to surround Varosha with barb wire and fence and protect it against anything alive.

Varosha was resettled in military style - without ceremonies. Clothes and beach towels were left to dry on the ropes, deserted restaurants shone with thousands of watts power until all the bulbs burned out. Some people say that Varosha’s stores still have fashionable (in 1974) dresses in the shop windows. 16 thousands of local greeks fondly believed in soon return leaving unfinished breakfasts and TVs turned on. But during 35 years only UN representatives and Turkish soldiers can enter this area. They patrol Varosha using jeeps all day long, every half of an hour. Beside that there’s a Turkish military base in Varosha.

Turkish soldiers and other maradeurs completely harried Varosha. Some people say that looted goods were seen at Istanbul’s markets. During many years a lot of stalkers together with their tourists were in Varosha. Skeletons of ritzy villas and humble Greek temple were overrun by thistle and cactuses. It is not allowed to photograph Varosha, but many people secretly photograph it nad no one has been shot yet.

In some places you can easily get across the wire and you can even get to once fashionable beach to lie on the lounge with bottle of beer in your hands. By the way, these golden sand beaches are being cleaned from garbage daily.

Today Varosha is a stumbling block for Turkish and Greek Cypriots. The Greek community consider that ghost town is a too small reason to remove embargo from North Cyprus territories. Turks are afraid that if they will give away Varosha they will not get anything in exchange for it.

Several years ago Cyprus authorities calculated that restoration of Varosha will cost 10 billions Euro. Experts think that it’ll be much cheaper to completely destroy ghost town and build new one on it’s place.