There is a tourist spot in Cyprus, which used to be the French Riviera of Cyprus. Abandoned today, Varosha is a ghost city no one is allowed to visit.
Varosha is an abandoned southern quarter of the Cypriot city of Famagusta. Before the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, it was the modern tourist area of the city and considered to be one of the most important tourist destinations in the world. Varosha inhabitants fled during the invasion when it came under Turkish control. It has remained abandoned under the occupation of the Turkish Armed Forces ever since. The quarter continues to be uninhabited and is known to nearby towns as a ghost city.
The rich and famous were said to be drawn by some of the best beaches on the island of Varosha. Richard Burton and Brigitte Bardot are some of the frequent visitors. The Argo Hotel on JFK Avenue was said to be Elizabeth Taylor's favorite, says, Atlas Obscura.
In 2003, travel restrictions were loosened for the first time. This allowed Cypriots on both sides to cross the UN Buffer Zone, commonly known as the Green Line. What used to be a paradise became some kind of post-apocalyptic nightmare. Nature took over in Varosha. Thick bushes overran the entire six kilometers. Trees sprouted wildly everywhere, some spawn out of the living room. In additions warning signs are scattered all over the place. Taking pictures and videos are forbidden, no one is allowed to enter as trespassers run the risk of getting shot.
Turkish soldiers who were assigned inside Varosha have an extraordinary description of the place. BBC reported that inside Varosha, a car dealership still stocked with 1974 cars, window displays of mannequins dressed in obsolete fashions. Pictures of the devastation circulate online but the photographers won't always admit to taking them.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
