Today we started our day by eating a delicious Greek breakfast at the place next to our hotel. Our group needed the energy as we were heading across the border for the first time on our trip to visit one of the world’s biggest ghost towns. After finishing breakfast around 8 a.m. we headed to the bus to depart for Famagusta.
Before we got to the heart of the ghost town we stopped at The Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque. This mosque was originally a catholic cathedral constructed between 1298 and 1400. The Church transitioned to a mosque after Turkey invaded in 1974 and claimed Famagusta. Since, the predominant religion in Turkey was Islam, having a catholic church was not accepted in Northern Cyprus. This explains why the mosque doesn’t face the mecca like all other mosques that are constructed, instead, it faces east as a common cathedral constructed at the time would have. We also saw that part of the city was encased in large defensive walls that were Venetian style all around and were originally built by the Lusignan Kingdom of Cyprus.
After visiting the mosque we decided to head to the Varosha, the ghost town section of Famagusta. This section was massive and was turned into a tourist destination by the Turkish government. As we entered the abandoned city it was one of the coolest things I have seen. The bustling, crowded city turned quiet and overgrown. The city hadn’t been maintained in roughly 20 years and most buildings had signs on them warning of the structural instability. After walking around the abandoned city for roughly an hour we headed for the beach.
We crossed back over the border and drove further south to a beach a little northeast of Aiya Napa. The beach and water were stunning! The water was crystal clear and the weather was beautiful. Although the water was pretty cold, the picturesque landscape surrounding the beach made up for it. We spent roughly 2 hours as a group and laughed the whole time. Sadly, after we had been at the beach for a while we were informed that it was time to head back to Limassol for the rest of the night. Once back at the hotel, we headed out to dinner where we ate at a place called “Industry Bar and Food”. One thing I’ve noticed from this trip was the price and portions. At the restaurant, you could get a whole rack of baby back ribs for 14.50 euros whereas the in the U.S. it would easily be over double. We stayed around the restaurant for an hour or two and shared stories from before we met each other. Every day we spend here I feel like the group gets closer and closer!