Varosha (Maraş) is legendary ghost town south of Famagusta in Northern Cyprus. Formerly the No. 1 tourism hub of Cyprus, it was abandoned in 1974 as the Greek Cypriot inhabitants went south, leaving property and livelihoods behind. Before 1974, Varosha was the modern tourist area of the Famagusta city. Its Greek Cypriot inhabitants fled during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, when the city of Famagusta came under Turkish control, and it has remained abandoned ever since. In 1984, a United

The Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 followed a coup by Greek Cypriots aimed at uniting Cyprus with Greece. In response, Turkey launched a military intervention to protect Turkish Cypriots, resulting in the division of the island. Turkey seized the northern third, displacing thousands and creating a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone. The invasion intensified ethnic divisions and led to the creation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey. #turkey #cyprus #turki