On the east coast of Cyprus lies a city frozen in time. A ghost town that whispers tales of past grandeur and conflicts. Famagusta, once buzzing with tourist life, is now a symbol of Cyprus's turbulent history.
Famagusta's historical significance dates back to the Middle Ages with architectural marvels like the Saint Nicholas Cathedral. In its heyday in the early 1970s, Famagusta was a thriving tourist town, in fact, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. The Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 drastically changed Famagusta's fate. The area known as Varosha, the modern tourist section of the city, was fenced off by the Turkish military and has remained uninhabited ever since. It is now called the Ghost Town of Famagusta.
Despite various UN resolutions calling for the return of Varosha to its lawful inhabitants, political deadlock has maintained the status quo. The area remains a bargaining chip in negotiations between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities.
A few years ago, Varosha was reopened to tourists. It is now possible during daylight hours to walk through the streets of parts of Varosha. There is no entry fee. It is still a military area, and Turkish soldiers are present in large numbers in the streets of the ghost town, possibly just to appear to serve a purpose.
Walking through the abandoned streets of Varosha is like stepping into a time capsule. Abandoned hotels, shops, and homes are as they were left in haste during the evacuation. All the buildings are cordoned off, and it is not permitted to enter. Mainly because many of them are now in such poor condition that it could be dangerous to venture inside. However, one can easily imagine that all personal belongings were also left behind when the inhabitants fled the city. Everything is now gathering dust, while nature is also slowly taking over many of the buildings.
From a photographic perspective, you should visit Varosha on a cloudy or foggy day. However, these can be hard to find in Cyprus. I "unfortunately" visited it on a sunny day with a clear sky. This naturally takes away some of the eerie atmosphere. Regardless of the weather, it is still a great experience to walk through Varosha's almost dystopian streets. Remember to walk down some of the side streets off the main route through the city, where you can more easily experience being completely alone on the roads.
With a great fascination for urban decay, I could easily have spent a whole day in the ghost town. I was there for 2½ hours, which was also one and a half hours more than I had agreed with my driver. Fortunately, he managed to pass the time anyway.
The future for Famagusta remains uncertain. Proposals for reconstruction and resettlement have been discussed, but political complexities continue to impede progress. For now, the city remains a ghost town, a haunted reminder of the fragility of peace and prosperity. However, it is definitely worth a visit if you have the opportunity to come to the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus.