A Ghost Town is Reopening, After Three Decades

Out of bounds to visitors since 1974, Varosha hopes to attract visitors once more

The beachside hotels were a popular getaway among tourists in the 60s

Updated on:

30 Aug 2020, 6:46 am

2 min read

On the east coast of the island of Cyprus is the ghost town of Varosha with a car dealership filled with cars from 1974 and shops with '70s fashion in the windows. Completely dilapidated, the town that hasn&rsquot had a single resident for the past 46 years. It is now getting ready to reopen to the public.

It was in 1974 that the town was shut down, when the Mediterranean island of Cyprus was divided into two, between the Turkish-Cypriot north and Greek-Cypriot south. This forced the then residents of Varosha district in the ancient city of Famagusta to flee. The area was labelled as a part of the UN Buffer Zone, also known as the green line, and entry into the area, which once attracted guests from around the world, was forbidden.

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In its prime, Varosha was home to 25,000 residents and hosted 12,000 hotel rooms for visitors from around the globe in the early 70s.

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THE ABANDONED GHOST TOWN OF CYPRUS-Cypriot ghost town could reopen for first time since 1970s In the early 1970s, Famagusta was the number-one tourist destination in Cyprus&nbspand was a favourit destination of celebrities. Varosha is the abandoned&nbspsouthern quarter of the&nbspCypriot city&nbspof&nbspFamagusta. Its inhabitants fled during the Turkish invasion of&nbspCyprus&nbspin 1974, when the&nbspcity&nbspof&nbspFamagusta&nbspcame under Turkish control, and it has remained&nbspabandoned&nbspever since. Greek Cypriots thought it was a temporary measure when the Turkish military ordered them out of their homes in Varosha, in the summer of 1974. But 46 years have since come and gone, and Varosha remains a ghost town. There is NO way you can enter the Ghost Town, it is CLOSED to everyone. You can only have a look from a distance. However you can walk around freely in the rest of Famagusta town, just like everyone else who lives there. But in 2019 Ersin Tatar, prime minister of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), has announced plans to reopen the town, which once boasted more than 12,000 hotel rooms, and was home to 25,000 residents. HOPE, WILL REOPEN THE GREATEST TOWN ONCE. #varosha #abandoned_ones #famagusta #cyprus #greek #turkey #abandonedbeauty #abandonedtown #abandonedcar
A post shared by under ground (@abandoned_ones) on Aug 25, 2020 at 1016pm PDT

Ersin Tatar, prime minister of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), recently announced plans to reopen this once glorious town. &ldquoAt this point, we are close to the point of starting the reopening process,&rdquo Tatar said. &ldquoIt's already in my opinion... The tide has changed and a new page has been turned.&rdquo

According to Tatar, the upcoming elections may delay plans, but he remains committed to bringing the once-popular attraction back to its glory.

Greece