Deserted Cyprus: Terrifying photos show a former thriving seaside resort now frozen in time
Forgotten churches, an apocalyptic car showroom, bare boutiques and tower blocks reclaimed by nature.
These gripping photographs capture the once-thriving seaside resort of Varosha, located on the coastline formerly known as the Riviera of the Eastern Mediterranean.
Varosha is located in a UN buffer zone separating Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus and the Republic of Cyprus, and is under the control of the Turkish soldiers. Its Greek Cypriot residents fled in 1974 when Turkey invaded – and Varosha has been a ghost town ever since.
The mesmerizing photos were taken by Dimitri Bourriauwho specializes in capturing the beauty of abandoned buildings – remnants of a bygone world, frozen in time.
The French photographer, who has 58,000 followers on Instagram, turned his lens on lost destinations ten years ago. His work took him to countries such as Morocco, GreeceGeorgia, Kazakhstan, Armenia and the US
When asked what inspired the Cyprus project, Dimitri, 40, told MailOnline Travel: ‘Man is capable of building fascinating things. Unfortunately, some places are forgotten. I try to remember the places before they disappear. In certain cases my photos are almost a work of memory.’
French photographer Dimitri Bourriau explains that Varosha (pictured) ‘has been guarded by the Turkish army for more than 50 years’ after Turkey invaded in 1974
An old school in Varosha that has fallen into disrepair. “The interior seemed interesting to me, but I couldn’t find any way to get in,” Dimitri explains
Signs pointing to Varosha’s city bazaar are still in place in the creepy ‘ghost town’
Dimitri wanders the streets of Varosha and photographs the crumbling buildings
The Varosha district has “a long and tragic history,” says Dimitri, adding: “Nothing can stop nature from reclaiming its rights over the various buildings in the area.”
Pictured: An old Toyota dealership on the resort’s main street stands in disrepair
Dimitri captures what strikes him as an ‘impressive waterfall of vegetation’ in front of the Angolis Hotel Flats, one of many large hotel ‘ghosts’ in the area
The vegetation has spread most rampantly in the northern part (photo), Dimitri explains
Dimitri says he was attracted to the brutalist architecture of this old Orthodox church in northern Varosha
Plants take over an abandoned hotel in the photo above, which shows tangled vines winding their way around the front of the building and wrapping around the balconies
According to Dimitri, this is the outer shell of what was once a bustling shopping street
This abandoned apartment building casts far-reaching shadows on the ground (left). On the right is an abandoned hotel that once bustled with tourists visiting nearby beaches
LEFT: Nature reclaims a former women’s clothing store RIGHT: ‘This street is very interesting,’ says Dimitri about this photo. ‘In the distance we see another Orthodox church in the forbidden zone’
Lost in time: a small abandoned house now covered in vegetation
This photo, taken in northern Varosha, shows an abandoned hotel standing empty next to two palm trees – a reminder of the area’s former identity as a popular seaside resort
Some letters have fallen from the storefront of this supermarket, which once served Varosha’s locals and passing tourists
Varosha’s Bank of Cyprus still has a rusty security grille in place, despite being deserted and with no ATMs in sight
LEFT: An abandoned house in Varosha, tightly locked ‘to prevent intruders’. Reflecting on the area’s past, Dimitri added: ‘Residents had to leave the area in a hurry in the 1970s. They were never allowed to return.’ RIGHT: This creepy photo shows a clock tower standing in front of a spooky tower building