VAROSHA PRACTICE

FAMAGUSTA(VAROSHA)

In 1974, the Turkish army invaded Cyprus, and the country remained divided in 2 parts, one is considered Turkish territory, and the other one is Cyprus territory, the Turkish side is only recognized by one country, obviously, Turkey, and is called the North of Cyprus Turkish Republic.

Famagusta was one of the most famous tourism attractions along the Mediterranean sea during the earlies 70´s.

During the invasion, the city of Varosha was attacked, and all the habitants decided to run away fearing for their lifes.

Varosha remain uninhabited since 1974, and nature is now dominating the city, while buildings start to fall and any rest of the inhabited city that has been for many centuries disappears.

Varosha is like a padlock, it´s impossible to enter to the city, and the only ones who have the keys are the Turkish army and the United Nations army, you can´t even film or take a photo of the city, if you do so and you get caught you will go to the Police station and you will be interrogated.

44 years later, some people may ask why they don´t want the city to grow again, it´s not that they don´t want to, but there´s a law that prohibits it. The Resolution number 550 of UN security council states that anyone that isn´t a Varosha´s habitant can live there, that takes us to the prohibition of the Turkish army to restock the city because they were not living there before the invasion, and it is considered a Turkish territory, so the Cypriots are also unable to live there.

The city is controlled by Turkish and UN soldiers that have the order to prevent the entry of any person to this ghost city. Anyone has been able to enter and film the city since the invasion.