A Ghost Town is Reopening, After Three Decades

On the east coast of the island of Cyprus is the ghost town of Varosha with a car dealership filled with cars from 1974 and shops with '70s fashion in the windows. Completely dilapidated, the town that hasn&rsquot had a single resident for the past 46 years. It is now getting ready to reopen to the public.

It was in 1974 that the town was shut down, when the Mediterranean island of Cyprus was divided into two, between the Turkish-Cypriot north and Greek-Cypriot south. This forced the then residents of Varosha district in the ancient city of Famagusta to flee. The area was labelled as a part of the UN Buffer Zone, also known as the green line, and entry into the area, which once attracted guests from around the world, was forbidden.

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In its prime, Varosha was home to 25,000 residents and hosted 12,000 hotel rooms for visitors from around the globe in the early 70s.

Ersin Tatar, prime minister of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), recently announced plans to reopen this once glorious town. &ldquoAt this point, we are close to the point of starting the reopening process,&rdquo Tatar said. &ldquoIt's already in my opinion... The tide has changed and a new page has been turned.&rdquo

According to Tatar, the upcoming elections may delay plans, but he remains committed to bringing the once-popular attraction back to its glory.