The ghost town
In 1974, Cyprus was divided in two between the Cypriots and the Turks. Right in the border zone is the old Farmagusta city, which today is controlled by the UN. When the Turks came, the inhabitants of the city fled to the south, leaving everything behind. They assumed that they could come back a few days later. 27 years have passed since then, and the city is still completely empty. It is a no man’s land between the two political enemies.
When I heard about this first, I thought it was maybe a little village or something. I was pretty stunned when I saw that it was a enormous city, spanning a wide, sandy beach, that must be several kilometers wide. All the buildings you can see in the photos below are abandoned. It could be a big tourist magnet if it was reopened, but so far, it has been untouched for almost 30 years.
It was not allowed to take photos of the city. Guards are standing in watchtowers, blowing their whistles every time someone tries. I managed to play stupid tourist and get a few though ;)
