Holidays In Purgatory

Michael Totten looks at the ghost city of Varosha, surrounded by barbed wire on the island of Cyprus:

In 1974 the Turkish military invaded and carved up the island. Greek Cypriots in the north were forced to move south side of the line. Turkish Cypriots from the south were forced to move north. Greek Cypriot citizens in Varosha fled the Turkish invasion in terror. They expected to return to their homes within days. Instead, the Turks seized the empty city and wrapped it in fencing and wire. They forbid anyone from entering it to this day.

You can walk right up to it, though, and take a look. Photographing the dead city is not permitted. But if no one is watching there is nothing to physically stop you.

And that’s just what Michael did–don’t miss the eerie photos that accompany his post.

(Which makes a nice double-feature with this visual tour of the abandoned ruins of Chernobyl.)