Never seen before footage shows Varosha, the world’s most luxurious abandoned city
- This video shows us around the abandoned city of Varosha, Famagusta, in Cyprus
- It was a luxurious resort and celebrity hotspot in the 1970s
- However, when Turkey invaded in 1974 it became a ghost town overnight
Published on Mar 26, 2024 at 3:08 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Mar 26, 2024 at 8:08 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
Looking at the crumbling and abandoned city of Varosha, Famagusta, in Cyprus today, it’s hard to imagine it being a luxurious resort and celebrity hotspot back in the 1970s.
However, that’s exactly what Varosha was before Turkey invaded in 1974 when the city, with miles of stunning coastline, became a ghost town overnight.
The content creators behind Yes Theory explained that, while Cyprus’ history is complicated, the UN buffer zone now separates Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus and the Republic of Cyprus.
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The footage gives us a peek at what remains of the now-crumbling, yet once-desirable beach location that sits amidst the wreckage following the conflict.
Decades after the invasion that changed everything, Varosha remains empty and unoccupied.
Turkey made the controversial decision to reopen the Varosha seafront in 2020, however, the situation is still a delicate one.
Permission was required from both the Turkish military and the UN to explore it, military and Turkish press office escorts were required, and entering buildings is still an offense.
The city itself lies crumbling and desolate – a stark difference from occupied areas mere streets away.
While eerily, tables and chairs remain outside cafes and restaurants and once-luxury apartment blocks sit empty, the decay makes it appear post-apocalyptic.
Damaged and crumbling, the results of bombing and gunfire from years ago are still evident.
A view of the now-defunct airport even shows planes decaying on the spot.
The team managed to talk to some locals who were forced to flee and everything they had to leave behind – and it seems as if their emotional scars are the real casualty of the conflict.
And this isn’t the only abandoned city currently on our radar, as this $100 billion eco-friendly ‘Forest City’ is now a ghost town with no change in site.
What’s more, this incredible drone footage and images show the truth behind Chernobyl after 37 years.
In happier news, this car parked on the same spot for nearly 50 years became a local icon.
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
