Today we took a break from company visits to have a day to tour historic sites and have some beach time. The first place we went was Varosi, also known as the ghost town. To get there we travelled over to the Turkish side of Cyprus for the first time which required us to present our passports and have a Turkish escort take us through checkpoints. Varosi was a very interesting place to see, it is a city that has been completely vacant for over 50 years. The city was destroyed from when the Turkish invaded the area previously occupied by Greeks. Looking back to now the conflict is mostly settled with the island divided in half but some areas like this are still protected under the United Nations. It’s sad to see a place that used to be full of so much life to be completely empty. It’s also a shame that so many people were moved from there homes without warning and never got the opportunity to get it back and rebuild.
After that we travelled to Famagusta, A Venetian city built within massive walls that are still up today. This was a very interesting community to see because everything from restaurants to historic sites were all within close walking distance. There was also a giant mosque built in the center which was beautiful. After walking around the town for a bit we sat down and had lunch and noticed that there was a large dog population which was a bit refreshing considering the cat population on the island.
Overall, I learned a lot today about the history and conflict of Cyprus. Our tour guide really put into perspective how both sides of the country could be justified especially if we were in their shoes. being able to see the ruins of certain parts of the countries was such a unique experience that I have never had before and helped me gain a more personalized point of view of the tragedies of war. Although the country is in a much better state than what it was it’s a shame the division and messes of the conflict are still left behind.