Europe's 'most luxurious' city left banned and abandoned for 50 years

Walking through the area of Varosha today has all the feel of a dystopian film set - but it wasn't always that way. A district in the city of Famagusta, Cyprus, Varosha was deemed Europe's 'most luxurious' destination for years.

It welcomed the rich and famous, including stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, to its glamorous resorts, skyscrapers and shopping areas.

Varosha became a travel hotspot in the 1970s thanks to its dedication to opulence. But that all changed in 1974, when the area was ravaged by war.

When a coup supported by Greece led to a Turkish military invasion, the island was divided in two and Varosha became closed off to the rest of the world.

Since then, it has remained frozen in time. Today, it is a ghost town; a monument to what was.

In July 1974, following a coup in Cyprus by pro-Greek forces seeking union with Greece, Turkey launched a military intervention, citing its role as a guarantor power under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee (which also involved Greece and the UK). Turkish forces invaded the north of the island, leading to widespread displacement of the population.

During the invasion, residents of Varosha fled the area, fearing violence. The Turkish military took control of the city and fenced it off, preventing anyone (including its former residents) from returning. Over time, Varosha became a ghost town, with its abandoned buildings left to decay.

YouTuber Pau Clavero, known as hiclavero, visited the area in his latest viral video. "This was the Miami of Europe," Clavero said while wandering the former resorts, now left derelict.

While parts of Varosha can now be visited in a guided tour, it is largely still closed off under military surveillance.

Blocked off with fences and turned into a military zone, Verosha is a shell of its former self. The United Nations banned any attempt to repopulate it without the original owners of Varosha's properties.

"They thought they would return home in a few days, but they never did," Clavero explained, describing how Greek Cypriot residents fled, leaving behind their homes, shops, cars and more.

But still under occupation of the controversial Northern Cyprus army, a territory only recognised by Turkey, it is heavily controlled and has an eerie, post-apocalyptic feel.

Clavero added: "They took my passport and subscribed to my channel to monitor me," explaining how he managed to get in after a surprise check at the entrance.

Once inside, the ghost town becomes even more eerie. It's filled with empty shops, clubs where "someone probably had their first kiss," and a bank still bearing its sign.

"This is like Chernobyl but without radiation," says the YouTuber. His viral video, seen by thousands, has relit fascination in Varosha.

But it not just the city's size or scale of its preservation that catches the eye. Perhaps the most surprising sight is seeing tourists next to crumbling buildings or crystal-clear beaches divided by a simple fence.

"It's like being in a sci-fi movie but real," Clavero claimed.

Varosha is part of the UN-controlled buffer zone that separates the Republic of Cyprus (internationally recognised and Greek Cypriot-controlled in the south) from the self-declared, unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in the north. The Greek Cypriots view Varosha as a symbol of loss, and its status has been a central issue in peace negotiations over Cyprus.

Back in 2020, controversial Turkish President Recep Tyyip Erdoğan and the Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar partially reopened the area.

But it was seen by many as a political move. Both the UN and the European Union condemned the move, and thousands of Greek Cypriots continue to claim their properties in the area through the European Court of Human Rights.

As such, the political situation remains as stalled as it was 50 years ago. Cyprus remains divided, and Varosha stays half-open.