Abandoned seaside town was once loved by the rich and famous - and even royalty

Varosha, a former luxury resort town on the island of Cyprus, was once a playground for the rich and famous before being abandoned following a military invasion in 1974

Varosha, located in northern Cyprus and just an hour's drive from North Nicosia, was once a glitzy seaside town that was a favourite among celebrities and the international jet set, now stands hauntingly deserted, a mere echo of its former glory.

Nestled in the Cypriot city of Famagusta, Varosha was a bustling tourist magnet in the 1960s and early 1970s, attracting stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot to its immaculate beaches and luxury skyscraper hotels lining the coastline. However, in 1974, everything took a turn for the worse. Following Turkey's military invasion of Cyprus amid escalating ethnic tensions between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, approximately 39,000 residents of Varosha fled, leaving behind their homes, businesses, and a once-vibrant resort town.

The Turkish military seized control of the area, and since then, Varosha has remained stuck in time, uninhabited and cordoned off from the public. Today, the town's vacant, decaying hotels and deserted streets serve as a poignant reminder of a once-thriving tourism hub that drew the world's elite.

Once dubbed the "jewel of the Mediterranean," Varosha's coastline has been off-limits for nearly half a century, with its former inhabitants unable to return. Despite being under Turkish military control, attempts to resolve the political deadlock over Cyprus have left the town in a state of uncertainty, adding to its aura of abandonment.

While Varosha remains uninhabited and inaccessible to the public, in recent years there have been moves by Turkish authorities to open certain areas of the ghost town to tourists, reports the Express. Until very recently nobody was allowed in the town, armed guards would only allow the Turkish military and some UN inspectors in. But in 2020 parts of Varosha were opened to visitors, which caused controversy politically, but from a dark-tourism perspective it was a welcome move as it made it possible for the first time to go and see this fabled ghost town legally.

Despite this, most of the town remains shut down, a chilling reminder of its past as one of the Mediterranean's top beach resorts. Varosha's sad tale is a reflection of the ongoing political divide in Cyprus, leaving the town frozen in time - a stark symbol of the island's past struggles and its faded glitz and glamour.