Varosha is a quarter in the Cypriot city of Famagusta. By law it belongs to the Republic of Cyprus, but is located within Northern Cyprus. Prior to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, it was the modern tourist area of Famagusta. Its inhabitants fled during the invasion, and it has remained abandoned ever since.
In the 1970s, Famagusta was the number one tourist destination in Cyprus. To cater to the increasing number of tourists, many new high-rise buildings and hotels were constructed. During its heyday the Varosha quarter of Famagusta was not only the number one tourist destination in Cyprus, but between 1970 and 1974 it was one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and was a favourite destination of wealthy, rich and famous stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Raquel Welch and Brigitte Bardot.
The main features of the Varosha quarter included John F Kennedy Avenue, a street which ran from close to the port of Famagusta, through the Varosha quarter and parallel to Glossa beach. Along JFK Avenue there were many well known high rise hotels including the King George Hotel, The Asterias hotel, The Grecian hotel, The Florida hotel and the Argo hotel which was the favourite hotel of Dame Elizabeth Taylor. The Argo hotel is located near to the end of JFK Avenue looking towards Protaras and Fig Tree Bay. Another major street in Varosha was Leonidas, a major street that came off JFK Avenue and headed west towards Vienna Corner. Leonidas was a major shopping and leisure street in Varosha, consisting of many bars, restaurants and night clubs.
As no one has inhabited the area and no repairs have been carried out, all of the buildings are slowly falling apart. Nature is reclaiming the area, as metal corrodes, windows break, and plants work their roots into the walls and pavement. Sea turtles have been seen nesting on the deserted beaches.
In recent years, attempts have been repeatedly undertaken to breathe new life into Varosha. Acutally, an attempt is made to develop Varoshia into an ecological model city, while the island-style character should be preserved. Not only the faltering peace negotiations, but as well the necessary billion-dollar investment are great challenges on the way.
