Famagusta Town

Unlike other parts of occupied Cyprus, the town of Famagusta was sealed off by the Turkish army immediately after being captured and no one was allowed to enter that part of the town - not even journalists. The term "ghost town" was coined later by Swedish journalist Jan-Olof Bengtsson, who visited the Swedish UN battalion in Famagusta port and saw the sealed off part of the town from the battalion's observation post.

From humble beginnings, during the 14th century the city of Famagusta grew to be one of the wealthiest trading ports in the Mediterranean, its inhabitants so rich that legend says they ground up diamonds to season their food! The inhabitants built churches and palaces and a magnificent cathedral, safely contained within massive walls that surrounded the city.

However, jealous eyes viewed the city under its Venetian masters, and in 1571 the Ottomans invaded and laid siege to Famagusta. They bombarded it with cannon fire for months, but the strong walls and defensive towers (bastions) kept the invading army out. Eventually the citizens of Famagusta had to surrender or starve to death. The city fell into decline, but a major restoration project began in 1996, and now the old walled city is buzzing once again.

Modern Famagusta spreads out far wider than the old walled city, a bustling town based around the same deep harbour that attracted the original settlers of the town here thousands of years ago. Before the events of 1974, Famagusta was a thriving report town attracting the rich and famous to its beaches and resort hotels, which were mainly based south of the city itself. Now those former hotels lie in the UN buffer zone, and the development has moved north of the city.

Famagusta makes a wonderful place for a day trip, and an excellent base for exploring the area. You can wander amongst the old buildings of the walled town and gaze down on the modern port from Othello's Tower. There are lovely little cafés and bars tucked amongst the old buildings, ready to serve you a refreshing drink or Turkish coffee when the sun gets too strong – or your legs get too tired!