1974; Varosha

Warm, sunny and clear skies again today.  

Up early, the tour bus picked us up at 730am, a 12hr tour ahead.  Two hours in, we stopped along the motorway for a cuppa and leg stretch.  Next stop, the Turkish border (never ever use the toilets there, beyond disgusting).  We stopped off at St Barnabas church, learned about the local religious history.  Next stop was the ancient city of Salamis, dating back over 1,000bc, finally destroyed by an earthquake.  We stopped off to see cathedral St Nicholas, now a mosque, built in 14th century in Famagusta.  We had a very tasty lunch next door.  Last stop was the ghost town of Varosha.  Long bus journey back to Cyprus, now a quiet night in the hotel.  

We heard the ancient history to the modern, including the war of 1974, when Turkey invaded. I don't know enough to pass judgement on the topic.  We arrived at Varosha, very poignant place.  200,000 folk made to leave their homes, and resettle on the south.  Varosha had been a popular resort for tourists and celebrities up to 1974, with hotels, shops, bars and clubs, banks, homes etc.  When it was invaded, the locals left with just the clothes on their backs, ready to return in a few days, sadly that never happened and the Turkish forces sealed off the city for almost 50 years.  Recently opened up a few years ago, for folk to see the decaying town.  I had to remind myself that it's not an amusement park, but I could have spent the whole day here.  A very apocalyptic feel in the area.  You may think this is any resort in the world, as people relax on the beach again, but look closely, all those hotels have been left to rot, crumbling and dangerous.  I wonder if any of the locals have returned to see it, or would it be too painful? Varosha as it was left in 1974, a glimpse back in time, Famagusta, Turkey, North Cyprus.