Famagusta (Gazimagusa in Turkish), a beautiful medieval town in Northern Cyprus, is probably among the biggest losers of the long-drawn-out political saga otherwise known as the Cyprus conflict. This serene historical town, with a pretty medieval centre and a natural deep-water harbour, used to be an A-List holiday paradise in the 1960s and early 1970s, with some of the regions' most luxurious hotels and bars frequented by big-name Hollywood stars, as well as the rich and the famous from nearby Lebanon, the Levant and other countries in Europe.
The heydays of Famagusta as one of the top tourist resorts in the whole of the Mediterraean was put to an abrupt stop in 1974. In the aftermath of Turkey's military intervention in Northern Cyprus, the entire district of Varosha - the tourist quarter of Famagusta - was sealed off by the Turkish army and has since remained closed to this day. No entry into Varosha is allowed except for UN and Turkish army personnels. Although the Turkish-Cypriot government had agreed to hand over Varosha to Greek-Cypriot control under the Cyprus peace agreement mediated by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, the fact that this peace agreement was rejected by the Greek-Cypriots means that Varosha remains a closed ghost-town in the foreseeable future.
As a result of this complete closure, the district of Varosha has remained frozen in time - the whole place gives one a slightly eerie feeling, as everything is still exactly the way it was on that fateful day in August 1974. Chairs and tables with table wares can still be seen in hotels evacuated in a hurry, 70s' fashions, out-of-date household items and consumer goods are still on display in the windows of now crumbling empty shops. The once busy seaside streets and boulevards are giving way to weeds, while rows of sea-front high-rise apartment blocks, hotels, cafes and bars are all rotting away due to the lack of maintenance whatsoever.
The fate of Famagusta proper does not fare much better. According to a report by the Smithsonian Museum, the medieval centre of Famagusta now ranks among the list of the world's endangered historical sites. Because of the political impasse and decades-long economic embargo affecting Northern Cyprus, the country is profoundly short of money and the technology required in preserving Famagusta's fragile cultural and historical heritage. Without international aid, a large part of Famagusta's medieval town centre faces very real danger of falling apart in the sun.
Famagusta's history dates back all the way to antiquity; the site of the modern town of Famagusta itself was founded in 300 BC as a small fishing village. In the early Middle Ages, Famausta's natural deep-water harbour, her well-built fortress with thick inner-walls, and her proximity to the Levant ports enabled the town to expand rapidly and became one of the most important and affluent port cities in the Eastern Mediterranean. Rich merchants and ship owners congregated in Famagusta, and in an attempt to show off their wealth, built many of the churches which still stand in the town's medieval centre today. Some of Famagusta's most important landmarks dates from the period when the town was under the rule of the Lusignan Dynasty (who were originally from France), who also held the position of the Crusader Kings of Jerusalem at the same time. Following the fall of Acre (in modern-day Israel) in 1291 to the Muslims, the coronation of the subsequent claimants to the title of the Kings of Jerusalem took place in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Famagusta.
Over the last few centuries, the island of Cyprus been ruled by a myriad of major foreign powers. The town of Famagusta itself has seen various powers come and go, including the Lusignans, the Genovese, the Venetians, the Ottomans, and the British. Each period of foreign domination left its mark on the townscape of Famagusta, where Venetian fortress and rampartss exist alongside Gothic architectures and Ottoman mosques.
In spite of the neglect and the ongoing political dispute (the UN Green Line lies just a short drive ourside Famagusta), life still goes on as usual in this divided town. Unlike many gloomy, greyish central European cities located near the former Iron Curtain which divided Europe for half a century, Famagusta has managed to keep up a sunny, bright ambience, regardless of the political and economic difficulties it faces. Although its harbour is not as picturesque as the one in Kyrenia (Girne in Turkish), today's Famagusta is probably the most historically interesting town to visit on the whole island of Cyprus. The ruins of ancient Salamis, although not fully excavated, are a short distance by minibus from the historical centre of Famagusta. Literary fans can visit the Tower of Othello, built by the Venetians between 1500 and 1550, and made eternally famous by William Shakespeare's play 'Othello'.
Given the presence of several colleges and universities nearby, Famagusta is also very much a young people's town. With its array of nice outdoor cafes, live music bars and restaurants set amongst medieval ruins and historical streets, the centre of Famagusta has an air of vibrancy and youthfulness, which make it an interesting town to visit for those who are in search of something more than just sun, beach and fun on the (in general) somewhat boring island of Cyprus. Education has become a key business and important provider of employment opportunities within the besieged state of Northern Cyprus, with at least 3 Turkish-speaking universities vying for students from mainland Turkey.
In order to make higher education in Northern Cyprus more attractive, students from Turkey who choose to study at one of the recognized turkish-speaking universities in Northern Cyprus can fly at discounted rates on all major turkish airliners to and from Nicosia. At the beginning and end of each school holiday season, many regional airports in Turkish that have direct flights to Lefkosa are packed with turkish students enrolling at one of the Northern Cypriot universities.
Getting to Famagusta: From Ercan Airport, direct KIBHAS airport buses leave for Famagusta (Magosa in Turkish) in front of the Airport Arrival Hall. Frequent mini-buses operate from Lefkosa's bus station to Famagusta until around 5pm. The bus station of Famagusta is located about 500m outside of the entrance to the old town. There are also diret buses linking Famagusta to Kyrenia (Girne).
All major turkish airliners (Turkish Airlines and its subsidiary Anadolu Jet, Atlasjet, Onur Air and Pegasus Airlines) operate direct flights from many turkish cities to Lefkosa. Northern Cyprus's national carrier, the Cyprus Turkish Airlines (http://www.kthy.net) also operate daily flights from Lefkosa's Ercan Airport to UK and Germany via many Turkish airports. Alternatively, one can travel to Kyrenia/Girne in Northern Cyprus by ferry operated by Fergun Shipping from southern Turkey, notably Tasucu near Silifke or Alanya (summer only service). Check the following link for further information regarding ferry time-table and prices:
http://www.fergun.net/uk/index.htm
Copyrights 2010. All text and photos by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved.
As a result of this complete closure, the district of Varosha has remained frozen in time - the whole place gives one a slightly eerie feeling, as everything is still exactly the way it was on that fateful day in August 1974. Chairs and tables with table wares can still be seen in hotels evacuated in a hurry, 70s' fashions, out-of-date household items and consumer goods are still on display in the windows of now crumbling empty shops. The once busy seaside streets and boulevards are giving way to weeds, while rows of sea-front high-rise apartment blocks, hotels, cafes and bars are all rotting away due to the lack of maintenance whatsoever.
I am a regular visitor of cyprus > normaly i love the beaches so preferre cyprus for self catering holidays .
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