The ghost town in Cyprus was formed as a result. Varosha: how a once-luxury resort turned into a ghost town. What a luxury resort looks like in the new millennium
I completely forgot about caution - this happens when a photo-courage happens. To be honest, I even managed to photograph everything that I planned - I wanted to take the last shot - when a military man barked at me from a tower. No, goosebumps did not run down the skin. And I didn’t even remember about the fine of 500 euros. All that bothered me at that moment was how to quickly and discreetly change the flash drive in the camera so as not to lose the photo if a person with a machine gun came up now.
From the article you will learn:
A little history of Cyprus
In 1974, when Turkish troops annexed northern part Cyprus, the entire Greek population of the north (about 300 thousand people) urgently moved to southern part islands, and Turkish, on the contrary, from south to north.
The Greek-Turkish conflict in Cyprus is very interesting. very strongly reminiscent of the history of the Crimea. On the eve of the events in Cyprus, there was a state. coup organized by the Greek junta of black colonels. Turkey has the following concerns. Firstly, the new government could well have annexed Cyprus to Greece. Secondly, there were already skirmishes between Greeks and Turks on the island, and the state. the coup contributed to the unrest. There was a possibility of ethnic cleansing.
The Turks decided not to hesitate and take control of the situation, capturing 35% of the island - the northern part.
Interestingly, due to the Turkish annexation of Cyprus, Greece withdrew from NATO. the organization proved itself incapable of defending the participating country.
Varosha was then the most prestigious area Famagusta and - why be modest - the best resort Cyprus. There were best beaches, pretentious hotels where people of world renown stayed - Elizabeth Taylor, Brigitte Bardot and Richard Burton.
The area was actively developing, new high-rise buildings were being built.
This is what the Varosha area looked like until 1974, photo from Micro Wiki
Varosha was evacuated in a few hours. People dropped everything just to leave as soon as possible. Then the area was surrounded by a fence, guards were put up, and red signs were hung.
What Varosha looks like today
For 42 years it has been impossible to enter the territory of Varosha. 42 years like concrete boxes waiting for people. But they are unlikely to wait.
Today, people continue to relax on Famagusta Beach. I don’t know about them, but I would be uncomfortable with such a neighborhood:
But a person adapts to everything. Apparently, they are used to not noticing the gloomy skeletons.
Although from a distance the buildings seem to be just unfinished hotels:
But this is only from afar. Up close, everything looks sad:
If you think that you can easily get into buildings from the beach, then you are mistaken. The area is surrounded by a fence, however, in some places rickety, in some places completely made of shit and homemade sticks, but a fence. And along the perimeter - towers with armed guards.
The fence goes out to sea so that they don’t even think to swim:
Having a small zoom on the camera, I took a few shots from the shore:
It can be seen that for 40 years of ownerlessness, the buildings began to collapse. How much longer will they stay? What will happen next with Varosha?
The ghost town of Famagusta in Cyprus attracts tourists with its originality. Back in the relatively near 60s, one of the most luxury resorts Mediterranean, and local beaches were visited by the most eminent celebrities. Now, Famagusta is an exclusion zone surrounded by barbed wire and guarded around the clock by Turkish gendarmes. Time in Famagusta froze in 1974, and this story is the places abandoned by people and frozen in time - a cross between Cuba and Chernobyl nuclear power plant. But we will start from the beginning.
From Antiquity to the Middle Ages
Just 6 km north of modern city Famagusta in Cyprus was once the richest and most mighty polis on the island - Salamis (another name - Salamis), founded, according to legend, immediately after the Trojan War by Tevkrom Telamonides. For more than a millennium, this policy was the capital of the Cypriot kings and the center of trade. Eastern Mediterranean. On the coast near Salamis in the III century. BC. Ptolemy II, the king of Hellenized Egypt and an ally of Rome, founded another policy - Arsinoe.
For more than a millennium, Salamis was the capital of the Cypriot kings and the center of trade in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Earthquakes of 332 and 342 both cities were not spared. The Roman emperor Constantius gave preference to Salamis (renamed Constance) and rebuilt it again. Soon this city became the center of the Cypriot Church, and on the ruins of Arsinoe a small fishing settlement arose - Famagusta. In the 7th century her hour has come: the inhabitants of Salamis-Constance had to leave their homes due to the constant attacks of Muslim Arabs. Today, the forum-gymnasium and the amphitheater of Salamis, restored during the excavations, are considered practically visiting cards of Northern Cyprus.
Richard the Lionheart, the kings of Cyprus and the jealous commandant
On May 1, 1191, the fleet of the English Crusader King Richard the Lionheart, heading from Rhodes to Accra, was caught in a storm. Of the four ships thrown ashore, one survived, but its passengers - the sister and bride of the king - became prisoners of the usurper of Cyprus, Isaac Komnenos. Richard's answer was symmetrical: he captured the island, waiting for the emperor to leave it for a while. After that, for many years, until the end of the XIII century, Cyprus remained in the possession of the crusaders.
During the Turkish rule, the Cathedral of St. Nicholas was renamed the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque.
Famagusta became a significant settlement in Cyprus only at the end of the 13th century, with the fall of the Christian kingdoms of Palestine. It was thanks to the exodus of the crusaders that Famagusta very soon became a city where those who still dreamed of returning to the Holy Land settled. Hopes were futile, but Famagusta turned into a rich Trading port protected by a formidable fortress.
From 1328 to 1374 representatives of the Lusignan dynasty, nominally considered the kings of Jerusalem, but in fact - the kings of Cyprus - were crowned in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Famagusta. In 1374 Famagusta was annexed by Genoa, which won the war with Cyprus. The Lusignan dynasty died out in 1489, after which, according to the will of the widow of the last king, Caterina Cornaro, Cyprus passed to Venice.
Rumor has it that the story of a jealous husband and his wife, which happened here in 1508, formed the basis of Shakespeare's tragedy "Othello"
In 1505, Christoforo Moro was appointed commandant of the fortress and castle of Famagusta, which also became Venetian. The fortress has already been repaired, and the castle was rebuilt in the Renaissance style. According to legend, from one of its towers in 1508, the commandant Moreau threw off the body of his murdered wife, who he suspected of infidelity, after which he committed suicide. This gloomy story formed the basis of Shakespeare's tragedy Othello.
From empires to republics
The fortress of Famagusta in Cyprus is famous not only for the Othello tower, but also for the heroic defense in 1570-71, during the siege of the city by the troops of the Turkish Sultan Selim II. The siege lasted 10 months, but the forces were clearly unequal. The Venetians had to surrender the city. One of the conditions for surrender was the unhindered exit of the surviving soldiers from Famagusta. Lala Mustafa Pasha, the commander of the Turkish army that besieged the fortress, agreed to these conditions, but did not keep his promise.
Until recently, Famagusta was one of the most fashionable resorts in the Mediterranean.
Turkey owned Cyprus until 1878. In Famagusta, the southern coastal region Varosha. Orthodox and Latin churches became mosques. The Cathedral of St. Nicholas (now the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque) also became a mosque, but most Greek Cypriots continued to perform Christian rites in secret. From 1878 to 1960 Cyprus was a British colony, but the Turks and Greeks still lived separately.
In 1960, Cyprus gained independence, while both communities retained full self-government. This allowed the development travel business. Famagusta in Cyprus has become one of the the most prestigious resorts. Among her guests were Brigitte Bardot and Elizabeth Taylor with Richard Burton. In the Varosha region, a full-scale construction of hotels was launched on the first line, and on the second - next to houses in colonial style- new villas appeared ...
Famagusta ghost town: payback for trust
On August 14, 1974, tanks approached Famagusta: this is how the Turkish government reacted to the desire of the Greek Cypriots to reunite with Greece. On August 16, the city was occupied by Turkish troops. Residents of the Varosha region, who fled from shelling and bombing, did not even suspect that they were leaving their homes forever. They were told that they would be able to return as soon as the situation was resolved. The area was surrounded by concrete fences with barbed wire, and the ghost town became a cruel reality. The settlement of the situation in this area of Famagusta has been going on for 40 years…
Time in Famagusta stood still in 1974
According to a UN resolution adopted in 1984, only former locals however, this is prohibited by the Turkish authorities. That is why the beaches of Varosha, which were considered perhaps the best not only in Famagusta, but also in the Mediterranean as a whole, are deserted today. And the fashionable hotels built in the early 70s, and the neat houses of the Greeks are already desperate to wait for their owners and guests ....
The forbidden zone of Famagusta immediately attracted the attention of "stalkers". Clothes, appliances, utensils - everything was looted in the early years of its existence. dead city". The "craftsmen" put aluminum frames out of the windows, dismantled them "by the bones" and carried out the furniture, removed all the stuffing from the abandoned cars. And this is despite the fact that only Turkish gendarmes, UN representatives and a few journalists are still allowed to enter and enter the closed territory.
Only Turkish gendarmes, UN representatives and a few journalists are still allowed to enter the closed area.
However, in last years pass or drive through tourist bus along the perimeter of the "dead city" it is allowed on excursions to Famagusta (Gazimagusa in Turkish), but there is still no talk of a walk around the territory itself. Violators face heavy fines and subsequent deportation. All photos close-up, which can be found in blogs and the media, are obtained either illegally or with special permission for foreign journalists.
Excursions: where you can and where you can’t
The ghost town of Famagusta is, of course, an exaggeration, and it is quite possible to walk along its streets, bypassing, of course, the Varosha area. But for this you will need to cross the border with Northern Cyprus and get an entry visa at the checkpoint, which is placed in a separate insert. You can do this yourself on, but it’s better to act for sure, preferring an excursion with a guide who knows all the moves and exits (an article about a guide in Cyprus offering excursions to Famagusta, and ask him a question about the trip through the form feedback below). And it will be much easier to see the ghost town this way, especially since the Turkish gendarmes do not welcome citizens walking along the forbidden zone unaccompanied.
As part of the tour, you can see the fortress with the tower of Othello, sea gate, mosque, walk around the city, etc.
As part of such an excursion, it is usually also offered to see the fortress with the Othello tower, the sea gate, the Lala Mustafa Pasha mosque, as well as stroll through the streets of the city, including for the purpose of shopping. If you do not plan to cross the border with Northern Cyprus anymore, it makes sense to visit other cities with ancient history, for example, to Kyrenia or Lapithos.
Once this city was appropriately compared with a "ghost", and this name was firmly entrenched in it. In the recent past, Varosha is one of the most fashionable and chic areas of the Cypriot coastal city of Famagusta, but today, alas, it is empty. For 40 years now, no one has entered the territory of the city. Of the living beings here, you can only see birds and which even "like" deserted beaches and the complete absence of people. Why is it once popular tourist resort empty overnight? From what abandoned city in cyprus not restored and settled again?
Frozen in time
History sometimes has a completely unbearable “sense of humor”: the abandoned houses of Varosha, flooded with joyful sun, gape with dark eye sockets of windows without glass, ugly plant roots and their tenacious branches tightly hug collapsing buildings. Suddenly, a bush grows in the middle of the once broken asphalt road. Thus, Nature gradually, but with sure “steps”, wins back what used to belong to it, “destroying” the deeds of human hands with its special humane means.
The most striking thing is that the atmosphere of the past 70s of the XX century has been preserved here, as if the city was fantastically frozen in time. His story shocked many, and then, as usual, people slowly forgot about it, except for the Cypriots, of course.
The ghost town is closely adjacent to the so-called Green Line of Cyprus. Historically, this island is home to two main nations: Greeks and Turks. However, tensions began to be felt between them precisely when Cyprus gained independence. It became impossible to live “together” in one city: the Turkish Cypriots moved to the territory of the old Famagusta, and Varosha became Greek.
Paradise, for those who know a lot about relaxation
The area developed rapidly, and after some time gained the status of the most respectable and modern tourist center on the island. Several luxurious hotels, entertainment venues, restaurants, casinos, and nightclubs were built here. The peak of Varosha's popularity came in 1970-1974, when here, on the cleanest sea and beautiful beaches the rich and famous came to rest or spend the weekend. There is still a belief that to book good number in Varosha it was necessary for a few ... years.
Huge and beautiful hotels stood along the first line of the coast:
- "Asterias";
- "Florida";
- "Kin George".
At the end of the famous and chic Kennedy Boulevard stood the handsome Argo Hotel, in which, by the way, the violet-eyed film star, the incomparable Elizabeth Taylor, loved to relax. Departed from Kennedy Boulevard the main street district - Leonidas. This place has been filled entertainment establishments and shops for every taste.
No one was allowed back
Politics entered the cheerful and respectable life of Varosha with dirty feet. On July 20, 1974, Turkish troops invaded the island of Cyprus to prevent the unrest caused by a coup d'état. On August 15, Turkish soldiers were already in Famagusta: Varoshi was in the line of fire. Fearing a bloody massacre in the streets, the local residents - Greek Cypriots - were forced to flee. Those who still had doubts about the evacuation were finally "convinced" by the Turkish bombing.
People were given literally an hour or two to collect their things. They ran away only with what they could carry in their hands and on themselves. Journalists, having got to Varosha a few years later, saw a sad sight: somewhere a light was on, which they forgot to turn off in a hurry, clothes were drying on the clotheslines, half-eaten food remained on the tables. No one expected to leave here forever. On the contrary, people thought that in a day, a maximum of a week, everything would calm down and it would be possible to return back to their native nest.
No one was allowed back. Although some managed to "pass" into native home to grab the remaining values. But there were few daredevils. But the Turkish soldiers had something to do "at their leisure": everything is open - take what you want. Marauders did it there: they even took out window panes, and what can we say about crowded rich shops, luxury hotels and respectable private houses. A few years later, people "met" their things in other cities of Cyprus, and unique car models (in particular, 1974) were "restored" and exhibited in dealerships.
Varosha - a visual aid for those who do not know how to agree
To this day, the Greek-Turkish conflict in Cyprus has not been resolved. The southern quarter of Famagusta is abandoned and surrounded by barbed wire. Only UN representatives are allowed to enter here, and the Turkish army, of course. According to the resolution of the UN Security Council (still in force), adopted in 1984 under No. 550, it is said: "Attempts to settle any part of the Varosha quarter by anyone other than its inhabitants are unacceptable."
The picture, frankly, is extraordinary: right there, behind the fence on the beach, people are relaxing, sunbathing, smiling. This is the Turkish part of the city. Someone is trying to film Varoshinsky hotels and other objects, but they are immediately pulled back: “it’s forbidden - there, on the tower, they are vigilantly watching everything that happens.”
Alas, return to the area former luxury, in two ways is impossible. Buildings are dilapidated, metal is covered with rust, plants have grown everywhere, including brick structures. Most buildings require not restoration, no, but rebuilding from scratch.
Of course, they are trying to resolve the conflict. For example, in 2004, the so-called Annan Plan (named after UN Secretary General Kofi Annan) was adopted, which provided for the division of Cyprus into equal autonomous parts: Greek (69.5% of common territory) and Turkish (28.5% of o.t.). However, the Greek Cypriots rejected this plan, citing Annan's failure to comply with obligations regarding Cypriot refugees. And the Turks, on the contrary, voted "for".
Do we really have to watch how the city gradually "dies out" without people, just like in Alan Weissman's non-fiction work-reflection "The World Without Us". There, the author argued that in 500 years, an impenetrable forest would stand on the site of a busy city quarter. The Force of Nature is unstoppable, let us stand up for the Force of Mind!
Especially for Lilia-Travel.RU - Anna Lazareva
The mysterious history of the ghost town of Famagusta is not known to everyone. Many years have passed, and tourists are drawn to the city, there are a lot of rumors and speculation around it, many questions remain unanswered. So, first - well-known facts. The population of Cyprus consists mainly of Greeks and Turks. In 1974, a revolutionary movement arose in favor of the annexation of Cyprus to Greece. In response, Turkey sent its troops to the island to support the Turkish part of the Cypriots. The invasion took place north side Cyprus, which is crowned by the town of Famagusta, which gained extraordinary popularity at that time and is at the peak of its prosperity.
The Famagusta Varosha area is the most luxurious and prestigious world center of that time - with new hotels, clubs and restaurants, the most modern infrastructure and a divine beach with azure water And white sand. Stars and the richest people of that time rested in Varosha: Bridget Bordeaux, Elizabeth Taylor and many others.
Varosha: protective fence
Varosha: abandoned hotel
Varosha: abandoned hotel
Varosha: abandoned car
Varosha: abandoned hotel
In addition, the prosperity of Famagusta is also due to the fact that it is the largest transport center with a huge, active port, which, without exaggeration, “feeds” the entire island.
After the invasion of the Turkish army, the Greek population of Varosha was evacuated in 3 days. People left everything - homes, jobs, businesses and were relocated to other cities, forced to start life from scratch. However, the intervention of the UN did not allow the Turkish forces to appropriate this unique area: a ban was placed on further invasion of the territory of Varosha with the condition that only its indigenous inhabitants and their descendants can repopulate it. The territory was surrounded by fences, security posts were set up, and this truly unique area at the peak of its prosperity remained withering. Unlike other occupied territories, the Varosha quarter was closed off by Turkish forces, and remains so to this day. Greeks evacuated from Varosha are not allowed to return, journalists are not allowed to enter.
Varosha: abandoned hotel
Varosha: abandoned car
Varosha - Famagusta district
Abandoned hotels in Varosha
Varosha: empty bottles filled with rainwater
In 1977, only one journalist - Jan Olaf Bengtsson - managed to achieve the incredible: he received permission to visit the forbidden territory. The materials published by Bengtson were retold by word of mouth, lines from his book, in which he described what he saw, are still quoted to tourists: “The asphalt on the streets is cracked from the heat of the sun, and bushes grow in the middle of the road. Now, in September 1977, dinner tables are still set, clothes are still hanging in the laundries, and the lamps are still on. Famagusta is a ghost town. The quarter is "frozen in time", with shops stocked with '70s fashions and empty but fully stocked hotels."
Varosha: car parking in the basement of the hotel
It is this information that is the starting point for the birth of myths about Varosha. For example, about the fact that this area is still in the same condition as the residents who fled from the shelling left it. Of course it isn't. The main was plundered by Turkish troops immediately after the invasion of the region, even before the ban established by the UN. Everything that had at least some value was taken out of the region. And in a few days Varosha was thoroughly devastated. In addition, over the years, the Turkish side made some concessions and people who lived in Varosha have the right to enter its territory. Most of these people actually returned to their homes, taking their belongings and the remaining valuables. And of course, no lamps are still on.
Varosha: overgrown hotel entrance
Varosha: abandoned hotel
What Varosha is now is an abandoned territory with high-rise buildings without glass, it is surrounded by a fence and there are 2 rings of security posts around the perimeter: Turkish posts and UN posts. Local population so accustomed to the untouchability of this territory that no one pays attention to this oasis of desolation in an actively developing city. Perhaps the most attention to this area is from stalkers, who are attracted to any such territories, and from tourists who would loiter among the abandoned houses with curiosity, but are forced to look at this area from a remote distance. And, of course, the Turkish government skillfully uses these territories in its political games, periodically threatening to give this area for settlement by Turkish Cypriots. In the meantime, one can only be surprised at how the human hand could at one moment put an end to development and prosperity paradise on the ground.
Varosha: a protective fence in the background
Varosha: kitchen in the hotel
Varosha: a kitchen in an apartment
Varosha is a district of the city of Famagusta. In the sixties and seventies it was the most popular resort Cyprus and one of most popular places holidays throughout the Mediterranean. The beach, 4 kilometers long, was built up with brand new hotels, the most luxurious and modern at that time. There were nightclubs, shops, markets, expensive private villas.
But the year 1974 came, a military coup took place in Cyprus, committed by Greek nationalists who dream of reunification with the metropolis, in response to it, the Turkish army landed on the island and occupied its northeastern part. Including, Varosha fell under Turkish occupation. The Greek population left the area in a hurry, leaving inside things, furniture, everything, everything, everything acquired by overwork. Then it seemed to them that they would return here in a few days. But 37 years have passed, and the city is still empty.
The Turkish army cordoned it off, surrounded it with a fence and established observation points around the perimeter. In addition, there are UN posts inside. In general, hundreds of people are guarding an absolutely empty city for no reason.
IN Lately there are plans to transfer Varosha to the Greek side for resuscitation here as a world-class resort on the condition that most of the jobs there will go to Turkish Cypriots. However, so far these are only plans, and when their implementation will begin is unknown.
And now there is only one hotel inside this area. It houses a rest home for officers of the Turkish army.
There are stories on the Internet that life in Varosha froze in 1974, that there is still furniture in the hotel rooms and rooms of private houses there, shops are full of goods, and on the tables there are plates of food left by Greeks fleeing in panic during war.
But this is completely untrue. Rather, it was all true, but in 1977, 3 years after Turkish invasion, when the Swedish journalist Jan Olaf Bengtson visited Varosha, the words from whose article are still quoted on many sites and in many reports.
But in more than thirty years, things have changed a lot. Now Varosha is absolutely deserted. Everything that could be taken out of there, everything was taken out. Moreover, both the Turkish military and the former Greek population of the area (few people know, but former residents are allowed to be inside from time to time).
It must be said that the ghost town of Varosha is not limited to a fence with warning signs on it. Abandoned in 1974, houses are found on the way to it, they surround the area, as satellites surround the planet. Moreover, it is completely incomprehensible why one house is abandoned, and the other is not. It's not just a matter of property rights (the Turkish population in 1974 carried out many squatting of residential and administrative buildings).
Detached abandoned office building
Most of the surroundings of Varosha looks very unpresentable. However, the opposite also happens. For example, we went to the fence of this area along a busy city street with administrative and office buildings on it. We walked and walked and suddenly noticed that behind the roundabout ahead we could already see houses with empty windows and a fence.
And it's not easy to do! The fence swings a lot. Sometimes he goes around buildings and entire blocks of residential buildings, digging his teeth into the body of a dead city.
Since 1974, two generations of people have grown up here for whom this state of affairs is commonplace, who are used to not looking at the other side of the fence at all, ignoring the existence of the dead Siamese twin of their native Famagusta. Therefore, our appearance on these is not at all tourist streets piques interest. True, silent. People stealthily stare in our direction, trying not to betray their curiosity, and shrug their shoulders, completely unaware that we have forgotten here.
I have already said: everything that could be taken out of the district, everything was taken out. But this cannot be said about the surrounding areas. Here the streets are full of half-rotten cars that last time moved from a place in the notorious 1974 year. And in one of the alleys, we were lucky to find several boxes with empty bottles from foreign soda, standing still for 37 years.
Some collectors would bite their hand off for this treasure, but here no one cares about them. The bottles have long been filled with rainwater. And some drinks, the labels of which are pasted on the container, no longer exist at all!
What a flimsy fence. Storm tells me. - It's easy to jump over.
But I didn't have to jump. In one of the dead ends, near some warehouses, I find a decent size gap between the bars of the fence.
- Climb! - I offer Storm and Fomka, but for some reason they refuse.
OK! I take off my bag and climb into the gap myself.
From this gap, a barely noticeable path goes deep into the quarter.
In general, there are several photos and video reports on the Internet from stalkers who managed to walk along the streets of Varosha. Apparently, I found just one of the entrances inside, which they use.
It’s scary to go further on my own, I don’t know any rules of conduct here, or safe paths, I don’t know anything at all. Therefore, I take a photo for memory and return to the "mainland".
Mission accomplished! I was in Varosha!
For a note. Fortunately, I did not dare to go further. Upon arrival, I found the place of my entry into Varosha on Google Earth and discovered that a hundred meters from "my" hole in the fence is the main entrance to this ghost town. And there are armed soldiers. If only I could run into them! Laughter would be...
In about ten minutes we will come out along the city street just in time for this post. I will go straight to the dugouts with soldiers armed with machine guns, we will meet eyes, I will take a minute to look at the street, blocked by a barrier, going inside the district, turn around and go further along the fence.
In another five minutes we will reach the central stadium of Famagusta, located on the very outskirts of the dead city.
Cathedral in the background, despite the good appearance located in a fenced area
We pass through the stadium and find ourselves in a line of sight from famous beach palm beach. From here you can already see three skyscrapers near the seashore, once former hotels, and now being " calling card» Varosha. Their image is replicated in all articles devoted to this amazing place.
Himself Palm Beach Hotel is currently under renovation. However, the beach at its foot is quite accessible to visitors. There are modern sunbeds, a shower, a changing room, a cafe. And all this right next to the fence, behind which are empty hotels.
But first we do not go to the beach itself, but to the old dilapidated pier, protruding from it into the sea.
There are already a dozen people on the pier. Mostly local. All of them are photographed against the backdrop of the sea. We don't give a damn about the sea. We take pictures against the backdrop of abandoned hotels lined up along the shore.
Wow! Storm says as he sees the panorama from the pier. He only knew about Varosha that this area exists. And our walks along the fence with one-two-story houses on the other side did not inspire him much. And here is such a sight!
We go down from the pier to the beach. It's time to swim in the sea again. Moreover, such beauty around!
On the beach, I hear Russian speech out of the corner of my ear. Judging by the accent, Moscow. I go up to them, say hello, ask if they paid for the sunbed, and if so, how much.
- Two euros. - Muscovites answer. Now it is clear how much money the infrastructure is supported on the beach.
No! No loungers! Let's settle on the sand.
Ah, what sand there is! Small, clean, pleasant to the touch. Now it is clear why this resort was so popular in its time. With such wonderful sand! I read on the Internet that the sand here is one of the best on the entire Mediterranean coast.
After swimming, I walk along the shore to the very fence that blocks the beach perpendicular to the water and separates the living city from the dead. Above this fence rises the outpost of the Turkish army.
I look at the ruined buildings on the other side of the fence, the washed-out beach and shore, glance at the booth, wondering if anyone is watching me now. Like no one.
But this serene silence ends when two Czech guys come up to the fence and try to take a couple of pictures.
- Do not take pictures! - Shouts a man in military uniform who suddenly appeared in the window of the observation post. The Czechs dismount and leave quickly.
- Why not take pictures? - I interfere. - The Internet is full of photos of Varosha.
"Then why do you need another one?" - The soldier counters me imperturbably.
I return to my friends. We bask in the rays of the setting sun for some time, take pictures against the backdrop of dead hotel buildings, then we get ready and go to look Old city Famagusta, it's still light. We didn't manage to do it yesterday!
