Varosha (Famagusta).html



Varosha, as seen from outside the military fence

Varosha (Greek: Βαρώσια; Turkish: Maraş) is a settlement in Northern Cyprus. Prior to the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus in 1974, it was the modern tourist area of the city of Famagusta. For the last three decades, it has been left as a ghost town.

History

Crumbling hotels in Varosha

In the 1970s, 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.

When the Turkish Army gained control of the area during the war, they fenced it off and have since refused admittance to anyone except Turkish military and United Nations personnel. The Annan Plan had provided for the return of Varosha to Greek Cypriot control, but this never happened, as the plan was rejected by Greek Cypriot voters.

As no repairs have been carried out for 34 years, all of the buildings are slowly falling apart. Nature is reclaiming the area, as metal corrodes, windows break, and plants work their roots into the walls and pavements. Sea turtles have been seen nesting on the deserted beaches.

References in pop culture

The town is discussed in Alan Weisman's The World Without Us (St. Martin's Press, 2007) as an example of the unstoppably resilient power of nature.

See also

• List of places with fewer than ten residents
• Prypiat, Ukraine

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Varosha (Famagusta)

• Return to Varosha
• The Ghost City of Cyprus

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Coordinates: 35°07′09″N 33°57′10″E / 35.11917, 33.95278