Varosha (Famagusta)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Varosha (Turkish: Maraş) (Greek: Βαρώσια) was the modern tourist area of the city of Famagusta prior to the Turkish invasion in 1974. Today it is a ghost town.

Many new high rise buildings and hotels were built prior to the war to cater to the increasing number of tourists coming to Famagusta, then the number one tourist destination in Cyprus.

In 1974 Varosha was made part of the United Nations Buffer Zone separating the two sides. The Turkish army has however refused to hand control of Varosha over to the UN and continues to maintain a presence in the ghost town. Today Varosha is not accessible by anyone except Turkish military and UN personnel, and the buildings are slowly falling apart. On the positive side, rare sea turtles have begun nesting on the deserted beaches.

The Annan Plan had provided for the return of Varosha to Greek Cypriot control, but after the rejection of the proposal by Greek Cypriot voters this hand-over has not materialized.

[edit] See also

List of places with fewer than ten residents

[edit] External links

• The Ghost City of Cyprus