Inside a ghost town with a seven-star hotel 'owned by King Charles', left to rot in a once idyllic resort that had become a no man's land
AN ABANDONED ghost town has been left to rot for decades, despite being home to a seven-star hotel believed to be owned by King Charles.
The luxury The building, still untouched, forms the centerpiece of the once idyllic resort that was quickly transformed into a no man's land after years of plunder and complete neglect.
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The ghost town lies in the silence Cypriot city of Varosha that was once loved by the stars and celebrities of the time.
According to the government of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus – which currently controls the island – King Charles owns the mega Golden Sand Hotel.
The enormous hotel complex first opened in 1974 and was proudly declared 'the world's first seven-star hotel'.
In fact, it was so big that it even had a railway line inside it to transport customers from room to room.
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But according to reports, the hotel was only open for a few months before it was left abandoned.
Tables, cupboards, plates and crockery have been eating mountains of dust within the glamorous walls for decades.
But unlike other properties in the resort, the Golden Sands Hotel has been left untouched by looters and preserved, earning it the nickname “the pristine hotel.”
It is still closely watched and patrolled by several guards and requires permission to enter the nearby grounds.
Although the Royal family has previously denied that the king owns it.
The MoD has also debunked rumors that it is being protected by British security forces.
The town of Varosha was considered a state-of-the-art resort and a breakthrough in tourism for the island when it flourished in the 1970s.
It was once even described as “a tourist mecca of Cyprus” and the “Vegas of the Mediterranean”.
Elsewhere on the deserted island lies 45 hotels3,000 commercial properties, 60 apartment hotels, 21 banks, 25 museums, 20 theaters and museums, and 99 entertainment venues.
The huge number of abandoned properties has been described as “a monument to diplomatic failure”.
One property was owned by Italian Hollywood superstar Sophia Loren and the resort was also a favorite vacation spot of Elizabeth Taylor, Richard BurtonRaquel Welch and Brigitte Bardot.
Of the more than 3,000 properties, outside of the Golden Sands Hotel, all were vandalized and affected by looters, leaving them a far cry from their former selves.
WHAT HAPPENED TO VAROSHA?
Varosha was hit hard after being involved in heavy fighting in 1974 Turkey and Greece.
The Turkish army reportedly arrived in the city to protect Turkish Cypriots from Greeks who were believed to be trying to ethnically cleanse the island.
The residents of Varosha were forced to pay money, fearing they would be massacred by the invading Turks.
Troops then fenced off the area so no one could enter and signs warned it was a “no zone.”
Tourists were not allowed to enter the fenced area and take photos, but some managed to sneak in to document the decay.
Today, the crumbling buildings and rubble in the streets only hint at the city's former glory days.
Since then the United Nations has used it to try to bring the two warring groups together, but it is controlled by the self-declared country of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar said yes hoping that Varosha will reopen soon as it could bring trade and tourism benefits.
He explained: “Varosha will definitely be opened. The tide has turned, a new page has been turned.
“We are successfully continuing our chosen path. The inventory work is almost complete, we are in the opening phase.”
People were banned from entering Varosha until 2017, when only a small part of it reopened to the public.
Since its reopening, people have explored the island to see what the once royal and luxurious resort still has to offer.
One tourist wrote further tripasharer: “Very emotional and thought provoking to see something as beautiful as this, with bullet holes and nature reclaiming it.
'You can't help but sympathize with the people who once lived here.'
As a second said: “It really is a remarkable place, straight out of 'Planet of the Apes'. A full holiday beach resort, closed, many buildings with marks from shelling or bullets from 47 years ago.
“Every piece is fascinating and all the time there are abandoned hotels, houses and unfinished buildings.”
Before a third said: “Amazing and sad at the same time to see this place go from heaven to nothing.”
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