Famagusta - A Ghost Town
Trip Start
May 27, 2008
1
14
15
Trip End
Jul 21, 2008
We stopped at the overlook for Famagusta on our way home from Ayia Napa. It's a ghost town on the Eastern coast of Cyprus. When the Turkish invaded Cyprus in 1974, all the Greek Cypriots fled the city and their homes. The Turkish military took control of it and walled it off from the public. Prior to 1974, it was Cyprus' wealthiest city and a top ranked vacation spot for Europeans. No one has been allowed back in it since 1974. It was heavily looted by the Turkish military so most things of value are gone but besides that everything is still exactly in place as it was when the Greeks fled. Newspapers and food still sit exactly where they were. Nature has definitely taken over though with trees and plants growing inside buildings. All of this is just we were told, we couldn't actually see detail, just look down at the city. It is a huge city. The lady that spoke to us about Famagusta was 16 when she had to flee the city. I cant even imagine having to stare at your home every single day for 30 years and never being able to go into it. Famagusta is definitely a key component in the Cyprus Problem. The Turkish took the Greek Cypriots wealthiest, most important city as far as tourism for no reason but to keep it from the Greeks. There is another side to the story that I will learn about tomorrow in one of my classes but I just cant see any justification for taking an entire town and causing thousands of people to flee their homes and businesses, just so their homes and businesses can sit their abandoned. I'll put pictures up when I have time. I lost my camera in the boys room for the majority of the trip though and found it the morning we packed up so this is one of the few things from the weekend that I have pictures of but I'll get pictures from other people.
