Imagine a resort with a long stretch of sandy beach with clear blue waters lapping on the shore.
There are hotels and apartment blocks that were once the go to place for the rich and famous when they wanted to spend time enjoying the Mediterranean sun.
But nobody visits anymore. Nobody has visited for a long time. In fact, only a handful of people have even set foot in the resort for more than 40 years…
A suburb of Famagusta on the island of Cyprus, Varosha was one of the top destinations for anyone who wanted to escape to the sun, with the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Brigitte Bardot heading for the resort to relax.
But back in 1974, that all changed…
When Turkey invaded Cyprus, the largely Greek-Cypriot community fled the city, fully intending to return once things had calmed down and to resume life as it had always been.
The problem for those people was that a return never happened, with the resort becoming something of a symbol for the division of Cyprus – split between the Turkish Cypriots to the north and the Greek Cypriots to the south.
Now under the control of Turkish troops, Varosha was sealed off and has been for more than 40 years, with barbed wire fences and patrolling soldiers in place to prevent unauthorised access.
It means that Varosha in 2016 is very much as it was back in 1974.
Personal items that were left more than 40 years ago remain untouched and the resort has gradually been reclaimed by nature; with what were once grand hotels now falling into a state of disrepair
through years of neglect.
Despite signs stating that videos and photos are forbidden, there are limited images – both still and moving – that emerged of a resort that has been left trapped in time as life goes on nearby.
As for holidays in Varosha; they are very much destined to be little more than memories from another era.