EERIE images reveal the decay of the abandoned seaside town of Varosha which was once the beloved destination of celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton until the brutal Turkish invasion of 1974 turned it into a no-man’s land.
 
Located in the north of Cyprus in Famagusta, the town of Varosha which once had a population of 39,000 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 such celebrities as Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Raquel Welch, and Brigitte Bardot.
 
Sprawling over 2.39 square miles, The main features of Varosha included John F. Kennedy Avenue, a street which ran from close to the port of Famagusta, through Varosha 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 Elizabeth Taylor. 
 
During the Turkish takeover of Cyprus in 1974, they took control of just over a third of the island nation, drawing up a border that runs right through the capital of Nicosia, which today, is Europe‘s only divided capital. 
 
When the tanks entered the city of Varosha, the entire city of 39,000 fled leaving behind their property, possessions, businesses and more.
 
Since then the ghostly town has become a sight of the remnants of all its past residents.
 
The latest census of 2011 revealed that the town had just about 226 people living around it as compared to 1974’s 39,000 people.
 
The town was open to the public in 2017 but there are very strict rules to follow.
 
These stunning images of the abandoned town were captured by explorer Macorlee Farnaby (26), who goes by the name of Macorlee Travels.
 
Macorlee Travels couldn’t believe the beauty and the eeriness of the town when he first entered there.
 
"There was every type of building abandoned and the size was insane,” said Macorlee.
 
“Gift shops, bars, butchers, opticians, other businesses, hotels, apartments, villas, everything you can imagine.
 
“It is still in control of the Turkish army and they walk around making sure everyone follows the rules and that people don’t go in the forbidden zones.
 
“We spent about five hours there and the sunset going behind the backdrop of high rise buildings was stunning and had an unusual mix of beauty and decay.
 
“You could see roofs caved in, rusty outside staircases going up blocks of flats.
 
“The nature was really taking back its land. 
 
“Walking around you could really feel how much of a thriving town it must have been back in its time.
 
“Seeing homes with shoes still outside and knowing the people just grabbed a handful of items and ran thinking they could return in the near future but knowing they never did really touched the heart.
 
“Walking around I couldn’t help but stop and look at each building and try to imagine the history of the building and knowing the amount of memories it must have held. 
 
“It was really nice having a free roam around the town, obviously not crossing into the forbidden zones or crossing the ropes blocking people from entering the buildings.”
 
You can follow Macorlee's journey on different social platforms - Macorlee Travels. (https://www.instagram.com/macorleetravels/)