Today we got to visit the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus! We started our day in Varosi, otherwise known as a ghost town. During the Turkish invasion in 1974, the Greek Cypriots fled the city and it has remained abandoned and under Turkish control ever since. We got the opportunity to walk around the abandoned area and experience the damage first hand. Seeing Varosi was unlike anything I had witnessed before. The buildings were destroyed and had plants growing out of them, but I could still see the city that had once been. There were hotels, cafes, and a store that once sold eye glasses. Seeing the old signs on the buildings made the town seem more real and the idea of people having to flee even more sad. They didn’t get any time to take their belongings, but had to leave with just the clothes on their back. I am grateful to witness this part of history even though it was upsetting to see.

After departing from Varosi, we got to walk around the city of Famagusta. There were still many ruins, however it felt like a real, vibrant, and lively city. There were cafes with big cases of pastries and religious buildings that we could hear someone singing from. Our guide showed us an old castle which had granite columns in front of them. Apparently, they were brought to Cyprus when it was under French rule and they were placed in front of certain buildings to show a sense of significance. Another interesting thing we learned was that when the Ottoman Empire was in control of Cyprus, they actually used it as a place of exile. For instance, if you spoke badly about the King, you would be sent to Cyprus.

Our wonderful guide has shared a lot of history with us over the past few days, but there were a few facts I found especially interesting regarding the split between the North and South of Cyprus. After the split in 1974, when the Greek Cypriots were forced to the South and the Turkish Cypriots were forced to the North, nobody was allowed to have any contact with each other at all. They were never allowed to cross in their own country. It wasn’t until 2004 that checkpoints were created and Cypriots could cross the middle line. However, another interesting piece of current information that our guide shared was that some Cypriots will still refuse to cross. If they cross, they believe it means they accept the idea that they have to show their passport in their own country. I can’t begin to imagine how this must feel, but I can understand this point of view and how hard it is to accept the current situation.