Varosha, located in Cyprus, was closed to settlement and settlement in 1974 with the decision of the United Nations Security Council. Before it was closed, Maraş was known as a tourism paradise where the most popular entertainment centers and holiday destinations were located. Today, it is the most interesting, deserted and abandoned city in the world. The city of Maraş, known as the Las Vegas of the Mediterranean, is a neighborhood of Famagusta.
Before it was closed, it was one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. In fact, it was one of the favorite places of many Hollywood celebrities. Today, entrance to the city is prohibited except for a few streets. Maraş, which has been closed for 48 years, is called “Ghost City”.
The Reason for Closure of Maraş and EOKA
EOKA is the Greek Cypriot armed organization that caused the closure of Varosha and tried to connect the island to Greece. The organization fought not only against the Turks, but also against the British and even the communists. It carried out executions against leftist Greeks before Cyprus was partitioned. The organization was founded in 1963; The bloody Christmas night started massacres against the Turks. In the attacks, 364 martyrs were lost and 104 Turkish villages were evacuated. Details of the massacre and brutality are exhibited in museums built in some parts of Cyprus.
As a result of the bombs dropped on Maraş, the Greeks and Turks left everything and fled there, saying that they were coming to take revenge. In many homes today, furniture, books, and even shoes just sit there. As a result of the EOKA attacks, the Turkish people, some of them died and some of them left the city. When Maraş was abandoned, looters and treasure hunters, who had the opportunity to enter, took everything that could be carried. The city, which no one has been able to enter for years, has been handed over to nature.
Closed Maraş was captured by the Turkish Armed Forces on August 13, 1974, with the Cyprus Peace Operation. It is located in the buffer zone of Cyprus, which is divided into two, called the “green line”. Today, there are Turkish soldiers in one part of the city and United Nations soldiers in another part. In order to prevent any provocation, the region is under surveillance by military units.
Reasons for Unable to Open Closed Maraş
Turkey wants to open the ghost city of Maraş, but it cannot be opened due to the uncompromising attitude of the Greek Cypriot side. Although the subject of Maraş was brought to the agenda many times in the 1980s and 90s, no results were achieved. In 1993, within the framework of a measure proposed by the United Nations Secretary General, he accepted the opening of Maraş for the common use of the two sides under the UN administration, but it was not accepted by the Greeks. The founder of the TRNC, President Rauf Denktaş, met with the Greek Cypriot leader in 2003 and suggested that Maraş be given to the Greek Cypriot side in return for the removal of all restrictions such as travel and sports activities to both sides of Cyprus. However, it was not accepted by the Greeks. Finally, at the Cyprus Conference held in Montana in 2017, it was seen that it was almost impossible for the issue to be resolved due to the intransigent approach of the Greek Cypriot side.
The tomb of Pertev Pasha, one of the most important symbols of Maraş’s being a Turkish land, is located in Maraş. The tomb of Pertev Pasha, who was martyred during the Ottoman Empire’s conquest of the island, has been there for 450 years. The tomb has been tried to be demolished many times, torn into pieces, and inscriptions have been written on it. It was corrected again by the Turks each time. In 1956, the British published that all of the foundation lands and properties on the island belonged to the Turks. It has been documented that Maraş is completely Ottoman foundation land.
Turkey said that Maraş would be opened in 2020, but it could not be opened except for a few streets. It is possible to walk on a few designated routes and to rent a bicycle within certain hours. Covered Varosha, if opened, has enough tourism potential for the whole of Cyprus. Before it was shut down, 50 percent of the entire island’s total income came from here. When Maraş, which has been closed for 48 years, is opened, it will carry Cyprus and even Turkey much further.
