Is Varosha still open?

October 2020 authorities opened this town and finally we got a chance to walk on the streets of this city.

Does anyone live in Varosha?

The population of Varosha was 226 in the 2011 Northern Cyprus census. In 2017, Varosha’s beach was opened to be exclusively used by Turks (both Turkish Cypriots and Turkish nationals). In 2019, the Government of Northern Cyprus announced it would open Varosha to settlement.

What happened to Varosha?

Varosha was abandoned in 1974 after Turkey’s military intervention on the island as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. However, a 1984 U.N. Security Council resolution said that only its legal inhabitants can resettle the town.

Why was Varosha fenced off?

Varosha, in Famagusta, has been unoccupied since the 1974 conflict between Greek and Turkish Cypriots left it in an inaccessible military zone. The move prompted backlash from the Greek Cypriots in the south of the island, who view it as an indirect land grab.

Can you walk around Varosha?

No fee to get in just walked through a turnstile. They have a bus tour you can take or you can hire cycles to go around. We chose to walk and quite a bit of it is open to look around.

Can tourists visit Varosha?

The city, which is part of the greater Famagusta district located on the south-eastern coast of the island was closed permanently to all civilian activates including trespassing. Since 2019 parts of the city has opened up for day visits and sightseeing for locals and tourist.

Who looted Varosha?

Demetriou, the former Greek Cypriot resident of Varosha, said he dreamed of reopening an ice cream business in Cyprus in the late 1970s. But with his house and factory here looted and occupied by the Turks, Cypriot banks refused to grant him a loan, he said, because he had no collateral.

Why are you not allowed in Famagusta?

The Greek Cypriots who had fled from Varosha could not return. The evolution of the city stalled, and it became a depopulated ghost town. Currently, military forces are stationed here, and no one is allowed to enter its territory, nor Greeks or Turks, or any other civilians.

What is Turkey hiding in Famagusta?

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (only recognized by Turkey) Famagusta, or Ammochostos in ancient Greek, means “hidden in the sand.” In the 7th century, Greek fishermen hid from Arabian robbers here.

Can Tourists enter Famagusta?

The once sophisticated seaside resort Varosha in the restricted area of Cyprus is open to visitors again. The Famagusta hotels were once graced by international stars. Turkey has now reopened the ghost town to tourists.

Who can visit Varosha?

Varosha is not open to visitors and still has a barbed wire fence patrolled by armed Turkish guards surrounding the entire village. You don’t say where you will be in Cyprus except to say that you will be in Nicosia for a few nights.