Look: The dead district comes to life, the attraction is dilapidated shops and hotels

The North Cyprus district of the city of Famagusta, Varoša, which until “her death” was a popular resort for stars such as Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Raquel Welch, Paul Newman, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, is being revived by tourists.

On foot, by bicycle, scooter or with an organized guided tour, tourists can view from the road dilapidated houses, institutions, shops, banks and hotels, which until the breakup of Cyprus into two parts in 1974 served approximately 40 thousand inhabitants.

Today, the buildings in Varoš do not serve their original purpose for anyone. They decay, rot, grow through the green, and evoke sadness and reflection in anyone who observes them. This has been possible since 2020, when the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus partially opened the “ghost town” to the public despite the disapproval of the original Greek Cypriots.

A walk through the apocalyptic city confirms the saying that nature always finds a way to assert itself. Business has it harder – it depends on politics. Take a look at the gallery to see how the destruction of successful businesses that fell only because of the disagreements of the ruling parties looks like, and how quickly business can develop in places that are given the opportunity.

For easier gallery browsing, click on the last photo in the preview showing the number of additional images.