Varosha, Famagusta

35.10590555555633.954933333333Koordinaten: 35 ° 6 ' N, 33 ° 57 ' E

Varosia (also: Varoscha, Greek Βαρώσια, Turkish Maras ) is a ghost town on the outskirts of Famagusta in the east of the island of Cyprus. De jure part of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, which it imputes the district of Famagusta. Since 1974, the city is, however, dominated by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and is regarded by these as a borough of Gazimağusa in the homonymous district. Varosia is a closed military zone since 1974.

History

Importance was Varosia with the mass tourism of the 1960s and 1970s. Large hotels have been built on the beach of the village, where the plot length on the beach often amounted to no more than 25 to 35 meters and usually represented the narrow side. In 1973 (the last year before the Turkish invasion of Cyprus conflict ) generated Varosia 53.7 % of total revenue in the tourism industry on the island. The entire system consisted of 45 hotels with 10,000 beds, 60 apartment hotels, 99 "recreation - centers", 21 banks, 24 theaters and cinemas, around 3,000 small and large shops. More 380 buildings were still under construction in 1974.

Since 1974

The Turkish military occupied in 1974 as part of the invasion of the northern part of the island, the city and declared the facility to the restricted area. Often, the Hotel City was traded as a pledge and a potential bargaining chip. Their role as a tourist center, however, have now taken on other places on the island. The buildings fall since the Turkish occupation, and nature conquered the area gradually back again. The beach has become an important breeding site for the endangered green turtle.