After being expelled from Famagusta following the Ottoman conquest in 1571, Christians with Greek background founded Varosia on the bay south of Famagusta.
From the 1960s onward, the city by the bay with crystal clear water developed into a glamorous tourist resort with numerous hotels and apartments offering more than 10,000 beds, two dozen theaters and cinemas, and around 3,000 shops. Miami Beach and the French Riviera on one spot - the place to be! As many as 380 new buildings were still under construction when the Turkish invasion of Cyprus took place on August 14 1974, ostensibly to protect the Turkish community on the island. Famagusta and Varosia were occupied by the Turkish army. The high proportion of British property in Varosia, together with the British sovereign territory of the Dhekelia military base located to the southwest, created an explosive situation in which a war between two NATO members seemed possible. The Turkish advance therefore halted here, and after its inhabitants fled, Varosia was declared a restricted area under the de facto control of the Turkish military. At the same time, UN peacekeeping forces are present to monitor the status quo. UN Resolution 550 of 1984 states that Varosia may only be resettled by its original inhabitants. Turkey and the so-called Republic of Northern Cyprus take a different view, citing among other things the "perpetual" property rights of a religious foundation dating back to the Ottoman era. As a result, the city has stood empty and decaying for more than 50 years. One side lacks the right to repair it, while the other cannot exercise the rights it claims.
Contrary to UN resolutions, in 2017 part of Varosia’s beach was opened by the Republic of Northern Cyprus for the exclusive use of Turks. Since 2020, visitors of any origin have been able to explore certain designated streets. In 2021, the Bilal Ağa Mosque in the former commercial district, built in 1821, was reopened, and since 2022 a section in northern Varosia up to the famous King George Hotel has been brought back into commercial use with renovated hotels and accommodations. The army maintains a base in the middle of the city, spreading across several hotel complexes. Piece by piece, investors and the military are nibbling away at the abandoned city under the watchful and disapproving eyes of the ultimately powerless UN peacekeepers.
For now, Varosia still lies there like a museum exhibit under armored glass. Away from the newly asphalted main roads, plants from gardens that have been neglected for decades overrun the buildings. Signs fade in the sunlight. Behind lowered grilles and shattered shop windows stand empty cupboards, empty shelves, empty display cases. Although the fleeing residents had to leave most of their belongings behind and the city has been strictly sealed off by the militay ever since... Anyone walking through the silent, deserted streets feels as if 1974 were only yesterday. And, as always, the things that must absolutely not be photographed tell the most interesting stories...