The Varosi Ghost Town in Cyprus – Nomadic Boys

Varosi Ghost Town - The Nomadic Boys

Visiting the Varosi Ghost Town in Cyprus

“That would have been my home if things turned out differently”.

Staring at the dilapidated and abandoned buildings in the Varosi ghost town of Famagusta in Northern Cyprus, my uncle points at a specific block of apartments set right on the beachfront (cordoned off by the Turkish military) and told me it belonged to my family.

In an alternative reality, this would have been where I would have grown up.

Every time I see the famed ghost town in Northern Cyprus I always wonder, “What if the Turkish invasion had worked out differently and I grew up herea as a gay man on the Famagusta beachfront instead of suburbia North London?”

In the summer of 1974, Turkish troops invaded Northern Cyprus and displaced 170,000 Greek Cypriots, which included all of my family. Most displaced Greek Cypriots either moved to Southern Cyprus or to the UK (Cyprus was a former British colony). My family was part of the large influx of Greek Cypriot refugees that fled to London.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Cyprus Gay Travel Resources

Visiting Gay Cyprus – The Nomadic Boys

Visiting Gay Cyprus - The Nomadic Boys

What’s the best part of Cyprus? Us! Cypr-“us”… get it? Ok, sorry, that was bad…

As the humble Greek/Cypriot part of your favorite duo, it gives me immense pleasure to gush all about the marvels of traveling this island. It’s a land of superb beaches, old buildings, seaside restaurants, delicious food, tons of mythological sites, and gorgeous people – if I may say so myself! 

About Gay Cyprus

Gay life has been quite a challenge for local Cypriots, but it is slowly evolving, becoming more and more vivacious with each passing generation. When it comes to gay parties and festivals, Gay Cyprus is no Tel Aviv or Mykonos, but it’s still a huge draw for LGBTQ travelers and couples.

It’s is the third largest island in the Mediterranean, located south of Turkey, and close to Greece. It has a politically chequered past, with the nation being divided between the occupied North and the Republic of Cyprus in the South following a military coup by Turkey in 1974.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Greece Gay Travel Resources