Verosha: Cypriot Ghost Resort

bycosmicradio

5.9K followers

9 years ago

South of Turkey, in the Far Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Lies the Abandoned Southern Quarter of the Cypriot City of Famagusta...One Of the Strangest Places on the Planet!

Now Called Verosha, the City Was Once a Bustling Playground For the World's Richest and Most Famous People, Including Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Raquel Welch, and Brigitte Bardot.

Before the Turkish Invasion in 1974, The Area Was Considered One of the Most Popular Tourist Destinations on the Globe!

The Inhabitants of the City Fled During the Invasion, and the City Has Remained Completely Abandoned, and Under the Control of Turkish Armed Forces For 42 Years.

The Former City of Nearly 40,000 Is Now Described As a Ghost Town. The Turkish Army Has Fenced Off the Entire Area, and Entry to the Public is Prohibited. Admittance is Only Granted to Turkish Military and UN Personnel.

Many High Rise Hotels Were Built During the Heyday of 1970-1974, Including the Asterias Hotel, the Florida Hotel, the Grecian Hotel, and Movie Star Elizabeth Taylor's Favorite, the Argo Hotel.

Once Brand New, Now Classic Cars, Still Undriven, Fill the Showroom of an Abandoned Varosha Car Dealership.

The United Nations Passed a Resolution (UN Security Council Resolution 550), in 1984, Requiring Turkey to Cede Control of Varusha to the UN, in Order For the City To Be Resettled By Its Former Inhabitants.

Turkey Refused To Comply, and Has Continued to Hold Varusha in Hopes of Obtaining a Favorable Settlement of the Cyprus Issue.

The European Court of Human Rights Has Awarded 8 Greek Cypriots Monetary Awards, Declaring That Turkey "Violated Article 1 of Protocol 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights, on the Right of Peaceful Enjoyment of One's Possessions," and for 7 of the Applicants, the Court Found That Turkey "Violated Article 8 on the Right to Respect For Private and Family Life."

To Any Potential Real Estate Developers Out There, Please Understand That Varusha is in a Politcally Unstable Area, and That the Properties Have Deteriorated to the Point Where any Future Development Would Likely Require Demolition of the Existing, Once Luxurious Structures.

In Addition, Sea Turtles, a Protected Species, Have Taken to Nesting on the Deserted Beaches.