Aka ghost town in Cyprus. A place untouched sinds 1974.
In 1974 the Greek inhabitans fled during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. They where being deprived of there homes and propperties.
Just hours before the Greek Cypriot and Turkish armies met in combat on the streets of Famagusta, the entire Greek Cypriot population fled to Paralimni, Dherynia, and Larnaca, fearing a massacre.
It has remained abandoned ever since. In 1984 a U.N. resolution called for the handover of the city to UN control and said that only the original inhabitants, who were forced out, could resettle in the town.
Entry to part of Varosha was opened to civilians in 2017.
The Turkish Army has allowed the entry of only Turkish military and United Nations personnel since 2017.
In the absence of human habitation and maintenance, buildings continue to decay. Over time, parts of the city have begun to be reclaimed by nature.
In 2017, Varosha’s beach was opened for the exclusive use of Turks (both Turkish Cypriots and Turkish nationals
By 1 January 2022, nearly 400,000 people had visited Varosha since its opening to civilians on 6 October 2020.
This abandoned town is now a populair paid tourist attraction.
Varosha Famagusta was the number-one tourist destination in Cyprus. To cater to the increasing number of tourists, many new high-rise buildings and hotels were constructed. During its heyday, Varosha was not only the number-one tourist destination in Cyprus, but between 1970 and 1974, it was one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and was a favorite destination of such celebrities