The former Mediterranean destination of Hollywood's elite is now an abandoned seaside town, frozen in time and surrounded by military forces. Valosha, the southern district of Famagusta city, was frequented until icons such as Elizabeth Taylor and Superstar of the 1960s once invaded Cyprus, northern Cyprus, on July 20, 1974, when Turkish forces invaded Cyprus, northern Cyprus, and changed everything.
Over the next few years, 180,000 Greek Cypriots, along with 15,000 inhabitants of Valosha, fled the north third of the island. The speed at which they escaped left the town frozen over time, with houses and personal items abandoned. Hubert Faustman, professor of history and international relations at the University of Nicosia, believes the town is currently being used as a negotiation tip between the Turkish and Greek governments on either side of the boundary line.
He told Express.co.uk: “Varosha was intended as a negotiation tip from the start.
“In fact, it was offered three times during negotiations on various concessions by the Cypriot side of Turkish. The most common is that they want to open not only the port of Famagusta, but also Elkan Airport for international transport.”
Today, the neighborhood remains untouched, with only one change over time as plants and weeds grow freely on the pavement.
In recent years, the town has become popular with “dark tourists.” This is about to experience a place historically related to death and tragedy.
The 2020 decision by Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan agreed with then-Northern Cyprus Prime Minister El Sin Tatar to see the region thriving once again with tourists looking for something different to those flocking there in the 1960s.
Faustmann believes the region has not returned to what it once was, despite its new status as a dark tourist attraction.
He added: “This section has begun opening certain parts of Valosha as we are in top tourist spots from a dark tourist perspective, and is currently a tourist spot with guided tours with e-bikes, vehicles and coffee shops.
“Varosha is used as a tourist destination and tourist destination without a single inhabitant before returning to 1974. It has changed in the sense that it is open to the public, but it is not open on the return journey.”
Construction workers have cleaned up the area prior to tourist arrivals by laying cement, removing debris and removing sealed buildings from public places.
However, these works will not be enough to allow tourists as well as residents to fully reopen the quarter, Professor Faustman pointed out.
