Today was super interesting for me, because I got the chance to cross the Green Line (a UN border that splits Cyprus due to the Turkish occupation that divided the country 50 years ago) and see the northern part of the island. For our first stop, we visited the abandoned ghost town of Varosi, which…
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Northern Cyprus: Varosi and Famagusta
Today’s adventures in Cyrus involved what is probably the most unique experience I have ever had while traveling, as we spent much of our day in the Turkish-occupied region of northern Cyrus. This region is only recognized as part of Turkey by Tutkey itself and no other nations, but still requires two passport checkpoint across…
Day 6 ~ Visiting the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus!
Varosi Yassas! Our first stop of the day was the town of Varoshi in TRNC. To enter that part of the island you must show a passport since they are recognized as independent. Getting to see the EU buffer zone was an interesting experience. I have never been to an area like that before and…
Borderline Realities: Reflections on Famagusta & Varosi
While not universally recognized as their own country, the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” (“TRNC”) has occupied over a third of Cyprus since 1974. Previous to the division, the Greek and Turkish Cypriots coexisted throughout the country–but today we saw the post-invasion reality of war, displacement, loss, and much more. We began to build our…
The Ghost Town of Cyprus
During our tours today we stopped at towns of Varosi and Famagusta. The first stop was a walking tour around the ghost town of Varosi. It is an area that developed outside of the walls of Fumagusta. Before the Turkish invasion, Varosi was the second biggest city in Cyprus. The people that lived there had…
Cyprus Day 6
Varosha is the ghost town of Cyprus. Walking through here was unsettling for me especially with the discussion before hand. Something that sunk in for me was how they have no photographs of family, weddings, or special events after the invasion. The no picture signs and military presence gave the place an unwelcoming feel. Generations…
Taking on the Turkish Ghost Town
Today, our tour guide Dimitra joined us again as we traveled to the Turkish side of Cyprus known as “The Turkish Republic in Cyprus”. Most Cypriots put the name in quotes since no other country recognizes the Turkish side of Cyprus as its own state other than Turkey. In order to cross to the other…
Endless information (and food!)
We went to the Northern Turkish side of Cyprus today. We had to pass through the UN safe zone and Turkish checkpoints. There was a security official that had to accompany our group the entire time we were there. It was really interesting to learn more about the Turkish invasion in 1974 and see the…
Cyprus Day 6: Ghost town, Famagusta, and beach
Dayyyy 6 in Cyprus. Today we crossed the border into the Turkish occupied side of Cyprus in the North. We had to bring our passports and we got a Turkish official to follow us around on our tour. Along the drive, many of the buildings seemed to be ruined and abandoned on the side of…
Day Six: Famagusta
To start off our first Saturday in Cyprus, we took a long bus ride to the Turkish part of the island. We started by visiting Varosi, a modern ghost town. Over the last 50 years, it has become overgrown with vegetation. Walking through it felt like walking through a post apocalyptic movie. I couldn’t believe…
Cyprus Day 6
Near Famagusta, the ghost town Varosi was a unique sight for sure. The best way I can think of to describe it is an almost film-like apocalyptic town. Almost all buildings still standing but abandoned and slowly deteriorating. A fascinating observation is that the Varosi’s infrastructure from 1974 looks to have been near equivalent to…
Last Day in Limassol
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…
Cyprus Day 6
Today was our last day in the city of Limassol, and we spent it by venturing out to the northern, Turkish-occupied half of the island. First, we took the long bus-ride to the UN Buffer Zone, where we had to show our passports to cross the border and had to have a Turkish tour guide…
Day 6: Varosi, and What it Once Was
After site visits yesterday, we were able to see more of the country. We crossed the checkpoint to go into Turkish occupied Turkish Republic of Cyprus. It was very different than the republic of Cyprus, having been invaded by Turkey in 1974. At the checkpoint, you could see the buildings that have been robbed, torn…
The Other Side
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…
The Ghost Town, Cyprus Day 6
Today, the group enjoyed historical site visits and free time at the beach. We began our day with a two hour drive to Varosi, the ghost town of Cyprus. Varosi lies in the Turkish Republic of Cyprus, meaning we had to go through several checkpoints before entering the once-vibrant city. First, we passed through the…
A Divided Island
On our last day staying in Limassol, we ventured to the east end of Cyprus where we crossed through the UN Buffer Zone and into the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. After our Turkish government escort for the day boarded the bus with us, our first stop was at Varosi, an abandoned resort town near…
Crossing the green line and venturing into Northern Cyprus – Cyprus Day 6
Today we had a long drive ahead of us, we were going all the way to the border between Cyprus and Northern Cyprus where the Greek and Turkish sides divide. This was probably the most anticipated part of the trip for me. I think the conflict between Greece and Turkey is very interesting when it…
Day 6 Cyprus
Today we were able to visit two old cities, that had ancient ruins, and lots of history. First, vsiting and listening about the history of Varosi was very interesting. I have never had an experience walking around a town that was completely abandoned, but still standing. not a single building I saw in the town…
Day 5 – Cement, CMMI and Realization
Today we went to visit Vassiliko Cement Works. Vassiliko is a public company that was founded in 1963. We learned a lot of interesting things like how cement is the 3rd largest export product of Cyprus. The also produce 16,000 tonnes of clinker (which is an ingredient for cement) and 75,000 tonnes of concrete. The…