Tuesday, May 9th
Today we went to the Turkish occupied area of Cyprus on the Northern side of the island. It was about a two-hour drive, and we had to go through passport control and take a Turkish guide with us to enter the region. The drive to the medieval town was an event of its own because the roads are incredibly narrow and very busy. For a while I was unsure if we were going to be able to get to the town, but with the help of our guide and Demetria, we eventually made it. Once in the medieval town, we got to go into the mosque that is the central focal point of the area. I had never been inside a mosque before, and it was a really unique experience to see one that is thousands of years old. To enter the mosque, we all were told to take our shoes off and all of the girls were asked to wear a floor length skirt over their shorts for modesty. It was interesting to me that we were not asked to cover our shoulders if we were wearing tank tops because that tends to be very important to modesty for women in many religions. In this area they mainly use a different currency than the euro which is strange for regions in the same country. Luckily most businesses still accepted euros, so I was able to buy some traditional baklava which was delicious.
After leaving the medieval town, we drove to a town called Varosha which is a ghost town on the Mediterranean. Varosha is located in the buffer zone between the Turkish occupied north and the rest of the island. In 1974, when the Turks invaded, they set up military barracks in this area which forced all of the Greek Cypriots out of the area, leaving all of their property behind. Prior to the invasion, this was a flourishing coastal city which attracted tourists from around the world. Walking through the streets of this disheveled city was like something out of a dystopian movie. As far as the eye can see, the city has been completely abandoned, the buildings and streets are decaying, and the entire area is completely destroyed by vegetation. This area was only reopened to the public about a year ago, so I feel very privileged that I was able to see this town in its current state. It is both amazing and also sad to see what can happen to such a beautiful city when it is left unattended for decades. I hope that soon again, they will rebuild the area so tourists and locals can enjoy what it has to offer in the future. I also hope that during this process something can be given back to the Cypriots who were forced out of the area and some of the harm can be rectified.
