The mysterious history of the ghost town of Famagusta is not known to everyone. Many years have passed, but tourists are drawn to the city, there are many rumors and speculations surrounding it, many questions remain unanswered. So, first, the well-known facts. The population of Cyprus consists mainly of Greeks and Turks. In 1974, a revolutionary movement matured in favor of the annexation of Cyprus to Greece. In response to this, Turkey sent its troops to the island to support the Turkish Cypriots. The invasion took place from the northern side of Cyprus, crowned by the town of Famagusta, which at that time acquired extraordinary popularity and was at the peak of its prosperity.
The Famagusta district of Varosha is the most luxurious and prestigious world center of that time - with new hotels, clubs and restaurants, the most modern infrastructure and a divine beach with azure water and white sand. Stars and the richest people of that time vacationed in Varosha: Brigitte Bardot, Elizabeth Taylor and many others.
Varosha: security fence
Varosha: abandoned hotel
Varosha: abandoned hotel
Varosha: abandoned car
Varosha: abandoned hotel
In addition, the prosperity of Famagusta is also due to the fact that it is the largest transport center with a huge, active port, which, without exaggeration, “feeds” the entire island.
After the invasion of the Turkish army, the Greek population of Varosha was evacuated within 3 days. People abandoned everything - homes, jobs, businesses and were resettled to other cities, forced to start life from scratch. However, UN intervention prevented Turkish forces from appropriating this unique area: a ban was placed on further incursions into the territory of Varosha, with the condition that only its indigenous inhabitants and their descendants could repopulate it. The territory was surrounded by fences, security posts were set up, and this truly unique area, at the peak of its heyday, was left to wither away. Unlike other occupied territories, the Varosha quarter was closed by Turkish forces, and remains in this state to this day. Greeks evacuated from Varosha are prohibited from returning, and journalists are prohibited from entering.
Varosha: abandoned hotel
Varosha: abandoned car
Varosha - Famagusta district
Abandoned hotels in Varosha
Varosha: empty bottles filled with rainwater
In 1977, only one journalist, Jan Olaf Bengtson, managed to achieve the incredible: he received permission to visit the forbidden territory. The materials published by Bengtson were retold from mouth to mouth; lines from his book, in which he described what he saw, are still quoted to tourists: “The asphalt on the streets was cracked from the heat of the sun, and there are bushes growing in the middle of the road. Now, in September 1977, dining tables are still covered, clothes are still hanging in the laundries, and the lamps are still burning. Famagusta is a ghost town. The neighborhood is “frozen in time,” with shops filled with 70s fashions and empty but fully equipped hotels.”
Varosha: car parking in the hotel basement
It is this information that is the starting point for the birth of myths about Varosha. For example, that this area is still in the same condition in which residents fleeing from shelling left it. Of course this is not true. The main one was looted by Turkish troops immediately after the invasion of the area, even before the ban established by the UN. Everything that had any value was removed from the area. And within a few days Varosha was thoroughly devastated. In addition, over the years, the Turkish side made some concessions and people living in Varosha have the right to enter its territory. Most of these people did return to their homes, taking their belongings and remaining valuables. And of course, no lamps are still on.
Varosha: overgrown entrance to the hotel
Varosha: abandoned hotel
What Varosha is now is an abandoned territory with high-rise buildings without glass, it is surrounded by a fence and there are 2 rings of security posts around the perimeter: Turkish posts and UN posts. The local population is so accustomed to the untouchability of this territory that no one pays attention to this oasis of desolation in an actively developing city. Perhaps the greatest attention to this area comes from stalkers, who are attracted by any such territories, and from tourists who would curiously hang around among the abandoned houses, but are forced to look at this area from a distance. And, of course, the Turkish government skillfully uses these territories in its political games, periodically threatening to give this area for settlement to Turkish Cypriots. In the meantime, one can only be amazed at how the hand of man could at one moment put an end to the development and prosperity of a paradise on Earth.
Varosha: security fence in the background
Varosha: hotel kitchen
Varosha: kitchen in an apartment
Abandoned Cyprus October 16th, 2015
Let's return to our section
Varosha - until the 70s, a lively seaside city, where hundreds of tourists flocked from all over Europe. They say that Varosha hotels were so popular that the most fashionable rooms in them were reserved by prudent British and Germans for 20 years in advance. Luxurious villas and hotels, advanced by the standards of the 70s of the last century, were built here.
It was a cozy seaside town, much like today's Larnaca, with large hotels along the sandy beach, churches and clubs, panel houses and private villas, with schools, hospitals, kindergartens and gas stations of Petrolina, the Greek oil monopolist of those times. New Famagusta stretched south along the eastern coast of Cyprus, covering an area of several tens of square kilometers...
Photo 2. 
Varosha is the southern suburb of ancient Famagusta, there were several dozen high-rise hotels and boarding houses stretching along beautiful beaches (the best in Cyprus), and on the second line there was a Greek quarter with private estates, churches, and parks. The Turks traditionally lived to the north, in Famagusta. In the early 70s it was, without exaggeration, one of the coolest resorts in the Mediterranean! Then no one knew about Antalya and Croatia, but Elizabeth Taylor, Brigitte Bardot, Richard Burton and many others vacationed in Varosha. The grace ended in an instant, on July 20, 1974, when Greek troops, under pressure from the advancing Turkish army, announced the urgent evacuation of Famagusta and Varosha. In a matter of days, tens of thousands of Greeks, fearing massacre, fled from Famagusta and Varosha, abandoning literally everything; there were food left in the refrigerators, unmade beds, scattered things, family albums, cars in garages. People fled so quickly that if the Turks opened Varosha to the public today, it would become the most stunning museum of the apocalypse in the world, in which everything remained as if the people had just disappeared, evaporated. The trees that have sprouted in the apartments add additional zest to this drama.
Photo 9. 
What can be seen here now makes a rather depressing impression - rotting villas alive, a church with drooping crosses standing waist-deep in thistles, weeds, cacti, rhododendrons. The inhabitants of Varosha currently include seagulls, rodents and stray cats. In the quiet streets, only the footsteps of UN peacekeepers and Turkish army soldiers can be heard. Four kilometers of golden sand beaches have remained unclaimed for more than three decades. Frozen crane, a series of hotels, bank buildings, locked with padlocks. Parts of the neon sign for the Venus disco are barely visible through the thick bushes and weeds. Houses and villas that have been looted more than once... 
On August 14-16, 1974, the Turkish army occupied 37% of the island, including Famagusta and one of its suburbs, Varosha. A few hours before the Turkish troops arrived in Famagusta, all the Greek residents of Varosha left their homes to become refugees in the southern part of the island, in mainland Greece, Great Britain and the United States. 16 thousand people left in full confidence that they would return in a week, maximum two. More than 30 years have passed since then, and they have never had the opportunity to enter their homes.
Photo 4. 
Photo 5. 
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. The Turkish army surrounded the empty village with a barbed wire fence, checkpoints and various other obstacles, essentially mothballing Varosha in the form in which the Greek Cypriots left it in August 1974. And in this form it has survived to this day - the most terrible monument civil war, which divided the once binational Cyprus into two unequal ethnic halves.
Photo 6. 
Every few years, hope for the return of the city to its inhabitants revived, but the parties have still not come to a compromise that would suit both communities. Varosha has become a bargaining chip in relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Varosha has long been the most impressive symbol of the island's division, haunted by the ghosts of the past.
Those who have managed to sneak through the wire fences erected by the Turkish army speak of plates of dried food left in the kitchens and dining rooms of once elegant villas and houses, laundry still drying on the lines, and incredible amounts of weeds infesting the streets. Varoshi. Prices on store windows date back to 1974.
Photo 7. 
Varosha was subjected to total plunder by marauders. At first it was the Turkish military, who took furniture, televisions and dishes to the mainland. Then the residents of nearby streets, who carried away 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 it from total looting: everything that could be carried away was taken away.
Although, there is an alternative vision of the conflict - the British organized and provoked it in order to prevent the spread of Soviet influence in the Middle East in general and in Cyprus in particular. Makarios was going to demand (or demanded?) that the British remove their bases from Cyprus, for which he paid with his life. “Turkish occupation” is, in fact, the entry of troops of another NATO country into Cyprus, and the organization of territory there that is not subordinate to the (close to the USSR) government of Cyprus and is even hostile to it. Maintaining Western control over this strategically important territory is much easier after partition.
Photo 8. 
This is what PUERRTTO writes
A huge area, approximately 4 kilometers long and one and a half kilometers wide, is surrounded on all sides by fences. On one side, the zone is washed by the sea, on the other, ordinary Turks live literally right next to the fence. Their windows overlook the houses of their former neighbors. But you cannot cross the closed zone. I'm sure the local Turkish boys are climbing the fence and wandering around the dead city. But for an ordinary tourist it is almost impossible to do this. There are a lot of military, police, and just vigilant citizens. Even the very fact of your appearance in close proximity to the fence causes bewilderment and dissatisfaction of the military. And some local activists will also joyfully “knock” on the phone, saying that tourists are photographing the church behind the fence (proof)
Photo 10. 
And, most interestingly, in the immediate vicinity of the abandoned neighborhoods there are completely inhabited areas of the city of Famagusta (Turkish part of Cyprus), including several coastal hotels. And the beach of one of them digs like an appendix into a ghost town, fenced off from it by a fence made of black material. The border passes just a few tens of meters from the sun loungers and umbrellas.
Photo 11. 
Photo 12. 
Photo 13. 
Photo 14. 
Photo 15. 
Photo 16. 
Photo 17. 
Photo 18. 
Photo 19. 
The legendary ghost town of Varosha was the best resort Cyprus. In 1974, the Turkish army captured the northern part of the island. People were kicked out in just one day. Since then, dozens of hotels have stood empty, and the area is guarded by well-armed soldiers. Attempting to enter will result in arrest.
But it’s possible for your own. Not all hotels are abandoned. At my disposal were photographs of people relaxing in the occupied city.
1 There are many mysteries, tales and legends about Varosha. Every blogger from any country in the world considers it his duty to get there. Of course, they say that there is furniture preserved inside the buildings, cars in the garages, and burnt food on the stoves. Many adventurers have tried to get there, but the army vigilantly monitors the security of the perimeter, and armed soldiers drive away the curious even from the fence, prohibiting photography even from outside. 
So, the same photos are wandering around the network, no new ones appear. Recently, one brave man decided to fly over Varosha on a quadcopter, the video turned out epic.
I didn’t dare do that, but I posted the picture. Theoretically, you can launch a drone from the Greek part of the island, but if you fly several kilometers from there, there is a chance of losing connection or control.
2 But this post is about something completely different. Few people know that the resort continues to operate, although only for military personnel of the Turkish army and members of their families. Important point: specifically for the military from Turkey, not Northern Cyprus. This also explains the fact that Varosha is under the control of Turkish soldiers. 
3 Those who were interested in the topic could see on satellite images of the area a clear boundary between the destroyed and living parts. A fresh asphalt road runs parallel to the sea, separating the first line of hotels from the rest of the buildings. If you have a pass, you can hire a taxi from the central square of Famagusta and go here. Along the way you will notice many surprising things. You need to film very carefully and secretly, even from the driver: if you are caught, the taxi driver may be deprived of access to the area.
4 Unfortunately, the fairy tale about the preservation of the area does not correspond to reality; Varosha has long been plundered, but the retro signs make you no less want to climb there yourself. I have been trying for many years to find an official contact with the military or to find a local guide, but so far without success. I found these same pictures on the Internet while preparing a route around Cyprus: they are rare and valuable, since this is a part of the area closed to tourists.
5 Now - prepare to be surprised! 
6 Welcome to sunny Marash! This is what Varosha is called in Turkish. 
7 In the background, on the beach, you can see a fence behind which tourists are not allowed. There is also a soldier standing there shouting at those who are trying to take photographs. 
8 People are perplexed “why guard a completely empty city”? But so that these girls can relax without prying eyes. 
9 So that respected people can enjoy a well-deserved rest, because forty years ago they successfully carried out Operation Attila, which resulted in the division of Cyprus into two states (de facto). 
10 There are several checkpoints and checkpoints on the territory, and even official guests cannot move freely around the area without an escort. 
11 All entire buildings in the guarded part of Varosha belong to the army. Headquarters, quarters for officers and barracks for soldiers - the majority live on site.
12 The only operating hotel in abandoned Famagusta, Gazimağusa Orduevi. Before the Turkish invasion, it was called Sandy Beach; on the Internet you can find several photos of it before 1974, although only from the outside. 
13 How many years ago the hotel reopened, when it was renovated and how much a room costs is unknown. I could not find such information. At first I actually thought that anyone could live here and tried to book a room: on Booking the hotel, of course not 😃 I called and asked how much. In poor English they answered that the hotel was not open. Well, yes, of course, but why did you pick up the phone? 😃 
14 Clean beach, sun loungers, umbrellas and a couple of cafes. As those who vacationed here write in the few reviews, the choice of food is poor, but the prices are low. But taxi drivers, on the contrary, rip off: a trip to the center of Famagusta costs 15-20 liras one way (250-350 rubles). Apparently, other places in the north of Cyprus are cheaper. 
15 There are two beach areas, they differ only in the color of the umbrellas. 
16 The hotel has two residential buildings.
17 Several years ago, the bamboo umbrellas were replaced with new plastic ones. Now the old ones lie in a heap on the sand, and they seem to be “the same ones” that have been preserved from the seventies. 
18 How did I find these photographs? In our age social networks you can’t hide anything - the Turks themselves are happy to post pictures of their vacation in the forbidden territory. 
19 Including soldiers on combat duty. During the day, they shout menacingly at tourists through the fence and prohibit taking photographs. 
20 And in the evenings they enthusiastically take selfies with weapons in their hands and walk around the closed city. Nobody will stop them. 
How can you not boast of such views? The guy from the previous photos climbed onto the roof of one of the hotels, took a video and posted it on his Instagram.
21 I think Famagusta is considered a warm place among conscripts. You serve yourself at a resort, guard an empty city, and pick up girls on the beach in your free time.
22 I wonder if the hotel staff are also military? 
23 I couldn’t resist posting this photo, sorry. 
24 Vacationers at the army hotel are also happy to share their photos with the whole world. 
25 Let's be happy for them, people are happy!
26 Be sure to take a photo at a table in a restaurant on the beach!
27 There are exceptions, and civilians also end up on a secret beach. For example, if you are a well-known DJ in Northern Cyprus.
28 Photos for memory.
29 We don’t know what the numbers look like. Guests almost never post such pictures. It is known that there are a total of 120 rooms in both buildings.
30 Upon entering the hotel, you are greeted by a stuffed leopard behind glass. 
35 And these girls work at the beach cafe! 
36 It’s even a pity that you can’t get there if you’re not related to the Turkish military. 
37 Spend an unforgettable vacation behind barbed wire. 
38 This is no worse than Russian resorts: unlike Anapa, the sea is clean, unlike Sochi, the barbecue is cheap.
39 Would you like to relax in Varosha? 
Photos from social networks were used in preparing the material © Mehmet Temur, AKİF BAHÇE, Emin KAVALCI, Behçet Ekici, Zeki Polat, Mustafa Alıcı
Instagram: nevzatozdoygun, murattkero, ilhnuckan, brc.cnr, alitolga67, gezgin_brtn
Sunny Cyprus has a unique area, fenced with barbed wire and inaccessible to visitors. There are prohibitory signs along the fence and observation towers. This carefully guarded object is the Varosha quarter, the infamous city of Famagusta - a “ghost town,” as a famous journalist from Sweden called the mysterious area. What secret does this place keep, and what happens behind the barbed wire?
How did the ghost town appear?
In the 70s of the twentieth century, Famagusta was a significant transport and tourist center in Cyprus. Beautiful snow-white beaches and developed infrastructure attracted a large number of people, and the giant port was one of the main “suppliers” of food for the island. The coastal area of the city - Varosha, was famous as the most luxurious tourist quarter. Fashionable hotels and many entertainment venues attracted the wealthiest people and world celebrities.
Everything changed in 1974, which became fatal for the resort. The Turkish army captured part of the island, including Famagusta. The Greek population of the occupied territories left their homes in a hurry. People left with little luggage, leaving their homes and property behind. Refugees moved to other areas, leaving their jobs and established businesses, and starting life anew. Further events in Famagusta developed as follows:
- the Turks became the masters of the abandoned cities, but they were unable to occupy Varosha, since UN troops were brought into the territory;
- The United Nations decided that only the legal owners or their descendants can settle in Varosha;
- The Turkish government banned the Greeks from returning to their homes.
As a result, the area was closed to settlement and surrounded by fencing. This is how a deserted quarter of the city of Famagusta arose, a unique ghost town in which no changes have occurred since 1974.
What does a luxury resort look like in the new millennium?
Journalists have repeatedly tried to enter the closed territory of Varosha, but only one of them received permission to do so. This happened in 1977; in those distant times, what he saw amazed the journalist:
- There were abandoned cars everywhere on the deserted streets;
- lamps were burning in the houses and tables were set;
- shops were filled with goods and luxury hotels were empty.
The destruction had already begun its destructive activity, but it looked as if people were about to appear and were still living in these places. It was truly a ghost town.
Over time, however, nothing has changed. Valuables were looted and taken out of the city. Regular raids by hunters into the closed area for prey have devastated houses, shops and hotels. Furniture, equipment and even the contents of cars abandoned by residents were stolen. Currently, Varosha is an abandoned place with tall buildings no windows. Old car models are visible on empty streets, coastline many unfinished hotels. The beautiful beaches, which were considered the best in Cyprus, are deserted, and thickets of cacti are visible between the buildings.
Modern Famagusta, apart from the closed ghost town, is inhabited by Turkish Cypriots. It is actively developing, although the tourism infrastructure still lags far behind other resort towns. Among the attractions in Famagusta, it is worth seeing the Old Town, which is a medieval fortress. The most interesting for tourists are also the following objects:
- medieval buildings and observation towers inside the fortress, the tallest of which was built seven centuries ago;
- Mustafa Pasha Mosque, in the distant past Orthodox church St. Nicholas;
- palace of a Venetian nobleman, which preserves works of art from ancient times.
You can visit all the main attractions of the city by booking a sightseeing tour. In just one day, on a tourist bus you can travel around the most interesting places and see the “dead city” from afar. Of course, it will not be possible to get to the territory of Varosha itself. Unauthorized entry into the fence is punishable by a hefty fine and subsequent deportation.
Tourists who visited Famagusta and saw the sad picture of the destruction of Varosha are interested in the future of this territory. It is quite difficult to say anything definite on this issue. Over the past few years, disputes about this corner of paradise have not subsided, but so far it has not been possible to reach an agreement. The Greek Cypriots did not give up the task of annexing the island to Greece. It is unknown whether Varosha will become part of the unrecognized Republic of Turkey or will go to a country of the European Union. Perhaps the rightful owners will still return to Famagusta, the ghost town will rise from the ruins, and tourist life will begin to boil in it again.
In the history of almost anyone ancient city there are periods of prosperity and decline. They can replace each other ad infinitum. We can usually see evidence of these vicissitudes in museums or in the few remaining ruins of the past. It is much less common to capture the transition from wealth and recognition to desolation and wretchedness right in the present moment.
An excellent example of such a metamorphosis is the Cypriot city of Famagusta, with more than two thousand years of history, which, by the will of fate, currently finds itself right on the border between the Greek and Turkish parts of Cyprus. It still amazes with its majestic fortress walls, dilapidated medieval churches, beautiful beaches and its controversial history, but tourists now come here more often only as an attraction, to gaze from afar at the abandoned quarters of the Greeks expelled from the city, and to wander for several hours in its medieval streets.
The times when Famagusta was a real tourist Mecca of the entire Mediterranean and the most attractive resort in Cyprus ended 40 years ago with the arrival of the Turkish army. The military remains the main power in this city to this day, not giving the slightest chance to revive its former glory as the main tourist center of the entire island.
We learned the hard way how these guys in uniform treat the few visiting guests in modern Famagusta, having almost lost our camera and all the footage here. But I’ll tell you about everything in order.
2.
After visiting Nicosia, I was confirmed in my desire to devote the rest of my vacation to exploring its northern Turkish part. For three days in the early mornings we went towards Northern Cyprus and spent the whole daylight here, and then returned to the Greek part for the night. The place of our refuge was perfect for such forays, because the border with the Turks is only 15 kilometers from here.
3.
We started our first trip with a visit to Famagusta. I heard and read a lot about this city, but I wanted to see with my own eyes how unique it is among all Cypriot cities. After the passage of time, I can say that Famagusta, or as it is also called Gazimagusa, Ammochostos or Magusa, remained the most beautiful city in Cyprus for me. And some features only make it stand out even more against the background of other, no less famous cities of this Mediterranean island.
4.
The superbly preserved fortress walls amaze the imagination even when approaching the old city center.
5.
A trip into the city over a long ancient bridge over a narrow gate, whose age is more than five centuries, can be called an exciting experience. Somehow this action reminded me of time travel.
6.
Right outside the gate we decide to park the car and climb the nearest bastions. From the fortress walls in the morning sun Old city Famagusta appeared before us in all its beauty.
7.
Dilapidated church domes, narrow city streets and the blue sea - these scenery have not changed here for almost five centuries. Needless to say, a walk along the fortress walls was the best way to open the pages of the history of this restless city.
8.
The deep local bay was used by people several thousand years ago. Somewhere here, the Egyptian kings Ptolemies, who were the heirs of Alexander the Great himself, built their ancient city of Arsinoe. Almost nothing has survived from it to this day. Then, after a long period of oblivion, the local port began to be actively used by the soldiers of the first crusades.
9.
Famagusta's new finest hour struck when knights expelled from the Holy Land, who had become rich there, began to settle here. They all hoped to soon return their possessions and chose Famagusta only as a temporary refuge. History decreed otherwise...
A little later, the city fell into the possession of first the Genoese and then the Venetian merchants. It is the latter who are building here, as in Nicosia, a powerful fortress. Against the troops Ottoman Empire it did not save, but unlike the capital of Cyprus, Famagusta withstood a difficult nine-month siege, many assaults and artillery shelling.
10.
History tells that the defenders were forced to surrender this fortress only as a result of famine and in exchange for guarantees safe exit beyond the boundaries of hostilities. The Turks, unaccustomed to defeat, violated the treaty and, as soon as the gates were open, treacherously executed most of the defenders, turning the rest into slaves. The destroyed domes of the former local Cathedral of St. Nicholas represent a clear testimony of that time.
11.
The Turks added a minaret to one of the towers, and also removed and painted over all reminders of Christianity, turning this majestic church into the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque.
12.
High Gothic vaults and long narrow windows are in strange harmony here with typically Muslim interior details.
13.
Only the mihrab looks a little ridiculous - a niche in the wall indicating the direction to Mecca, which is necessarily present in all mosques.
14.
15.
In general, before the Turkish attack there were many churches in Famagusta. Only a few of them have survived to this day.
16.
Next to the former St. Nicholas Cathedral there is also the Church of St. Peter and Paul. It, too, has now been converted into a mosque. And a little further away, among the construction debris, you can see the ruins of the Church of St. George.
17.
In Famagusta, many more ruins can be found on the streets. Not only the Turks are to blame for the destruction of ancient buildings, but also frequent earthquakes.
18.
Only the fortress walls don’t care. Their length in the city is now more than three kilometers, and the complex of this Venetian citadel includes many towers and bastions. In some places, even sculptures of lions traditional for that era have been preserved.
19.
During the rule of the Ottomans, Famagusta experienced its next decline. By the beginning of the colonization of Cyprus British Empire at the beginning of the last century, only four thousand people lived here. The British saw resort potential in the city and began to gradually build it up with hotels, restaurants and luxury villas.
20.
But a real tourism boom began in the city with the advent of Cyprus’ independence in the early 60s of the last century. Then Famagusta experienced rapid growth.
21.
The center of the tourist industry is in the Greek quarter of Varosha. Before the start of the war with Turkey in 1974, there were 109 hotels, many shops, bars and dance venues. All this stopped suddenly.
22.
After the city was briefly bombed and captured by the Turkish military during their invasion of Cyprus, local Greeks were given only a few hours to evict the city. Many left with their hands in disarray, firmly believing that the ships would return in a couple of weeks. This never happened.
23.
The Varosha area fell into the demilitarized zone, but the Turkish military refused to leave it. They still control Varosha 40 years later.
24.
Despite watchtowers, powerful searchlights and constant raids, the Greek quarter has long been completely plundered.
25.
I don’t know why, but the Turks obediently comply with the UN resolution and do not populate this once richest area of the city. At the same time, they flatly refuse to return Varosha to the Greeks. A real ghost town now serves as a kind of strange attraction for Fasagusta. Tourists come here for photo sessions, although photographing Varosha seems to be strictly prohibited.
26.
A now popular hotel for lovers of unusual exotics was built nearby. An excellent beach, wonderful climate and gloomy post-apocalyptic scenes outside the hotel windows have become the hallmark of this place.
27.
We stopped here too. Despite many signs prohibiting photography, I decided to photograph this object. After all, the Internet is literally flooded with footage from here.
28.
Walking leisurely along the beach line, we came closer and closer to its fenced-off part with a checkpoint tower.
29.
I saw that a Turkish military man was sitting there on a folding chair with a tablet computer in his hands. Judging by his indifferent face, he didn’t care what we were doing there. But soon something happened that radically changed his attitude towards curious travelers with a camera in their hands.
When my wife and I approached the fence itself, I only managed to take one photo, which you can see below.
30.
Literally at that very second, a military jeep appeared around the bend. Apparently they noticed the camera in my hands, because after a short conversation with the guard, he began desperately yelling in broken English language in our direction: “Stop!” Ay sei yu stop photo! It yu last time hee!“ . At the same time, he began to frantically run around his blog post. I didn’t get into long discussions and realized that I had to get out of here. We slowly turned around and walked towards the hotel under the heart-rending screams of the would-be security guard, who did not dare to leave his post in order to teach the uninvited guests a lesson.
31.
Thus ended our walk through this unusual city, still recovering from another short war and living in hope of a better future. We drove through it several more times over the next few days and saw how much its Turkish part had been rebuilt. Now there is a large local university and many other institutions. You just can't see the resort gloss here.
32.
Famagusta lives with one foot in the bright past, the other foot in an uncertain future. The Turks realize that Varosha will someday need to return it to its true owners, but they delay this moment until the last minute, clearly not wanting to have a competitor and sworn enemy at hand.
33.
The next page in the history of this city has not been turned, frozen in immobility somewhere in the middle. But travelers like me are only happy with this state of affairs. After all, now Famagusta is not a resort center like, but a very unusual city with a taste of real adventure...
