A few clarifications: 3:45 I'm not sure if it's accurate to say that there was an official offer to Cyprus to join Greece. But as I understand it this it was being seriously discussed on both sides. 22:13 While watching the video back I realized the language is probably Armenian. Can anyone confirm? 23:55 It wasn't entirely accurate to say that ancient Macedonia had nothing to do with modern North Macedonia. Although the capital city, where King Philip and Alexander the Great lived, was in Pella in modern Greece, the ancient kingdom of Macedonia was partly in modern day North Macedonia and there are ruins there that you can visit, including a castle built by King Philip. And of course some of the history and culture has been passed on to the people who live there now. My point was that the modern country of North Macedonia is primarily Slavic, which has very little to do with ancient Greece. I discussed the topic further in this video: th-cam.com/video/NUnP2Uyg_R8/w-d-xo.html
re: 3:45- what happened in July, 1974 was that Greece, which was ruled by a failing military dictatorship at the time, sponsored a coup in Cyprus that overthrew the legitimate government, and installed an ultranationalist puppet regime who's ultimate goal was annexation by Greece. This provoked Turkey to launch the first of its two invasions of Cyprus. The first Turkish invasion was less intense than the second, and widely seen as legimitate by the international community because of the ultranationalist actions from the Greek side that threatened the Turkish-Cypriots. However, by August, 1974, both the junta regime in Greece and the puppet regime it installed in Cyprus had collapsed, peace talks were underway in Switzerland to normalize the situation on the island, but Turkey, with the blessing of US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, launched a 2nd invasion anyway, which was much deeper and more intense than the first, and which is still going on to this day, nearly half a century later.
Yes the names 22:13 are armenian most probably Armenians of Turkey because many families still carry Turkish names which indicate a job title with the ian addition to make it sound Armenian.
Great video! Cyprus is an ancient place of great historical and biblical significance. Cyprus is known as kittim or chittim in the Bible and a part of the Greek world. Kittim was a son of Javan(biblical Greeks) along with Rhodes (Dodanin, the Greek isles (Elisha), tarshish (tarsus turkey) and Cyprus (kittim) Genesis 10:4. All these places where Greek first then there were other invaders. Alexander knew this and did not have to conquer Cyprus as they gladly joined the Greeks and provided most of the Greek naval fleet and from Cyprus the greeks launched their conquest of tyre and the levant mentioned in Numbers 24:24 and the book of Maccabees as chittim.
All things considered, Varosha appears to be pretty well preserved in spite of decades of neglect. Nice walkthrough. A little aside on the 1974 conflict. A high school acquaintance of mine was stationed with the USAF on Cyprus at that time and he related the Turkish soldiers roughed him up pretty well before he fled.
Liar this area was Ottoman trust property for which the ownership was illegally changed by the British and given to Greeks. In no part of the world trust property can be changed. Liars
@@giuc100 In 1960 all those areas became part of the Republic of Cyprus. We lived peacefully until EOKA B started this mess and tried to kill our president and archibishop and later Turkey invaded and destroyed monuments, churches and houses. We both made mistakes unfortunately
Thanks Gabriel, for the informative history lesson. You filled in some holes in my understanding. I appreciate your curiosity and careful attention to everything around you. Safe travels, Jul and family 😊
I was just here 10 days ago and took a golf cart ride around the ghost town of Varosha with my Turkish client and her Cypriot colleague. The history of this town is so tragic and sad. ): Thank you so much Gabriel for sharing your knowledge of this area and the history involved! Kudos to you! (:
Almost anytime you see -ian on a last name, it will be Armenian. “Ouzounian is the Turkic variant of an Armenian name most commonly found in South Central Turkey prior to the diaspora and consequently in Syria and Lebanon. The name comes from Turkish ‘ouzou’ which means long or tall and the common Armenian suffix ‘ian’ which means man or person.”
I gotta ask, Gabe. I've watched your videos for years. Do you ever find yourself getting depressed when you're on the road for months on end? If so, how do you deal with it so that you continue having the energy to travel and make your amazing videos?
Since thousands of tourists visited Varosha yearly, signage were in English for mostly English speaking, visitors.Shops, hotels, restaurants, and bars. The northern part of the city, were inhabited by mainly GC, and therefore signage were both in Greek and English
The English names was for tourism mainly...but they were prodominatly owned by greeks. Varosha is my dad's hometown before the 1974 invasion. His part is still a ghost town 😔
👋Hi Gabriel, Another very interesting historical lesson, for us all to take in. It looks very hot in this footage & I hope you were wearing sunscreen. Thanks for sharing & here's wishing you more wonderful travels. Peace✌
Gabe - Very nice job on this one; you have been both informative to your viewers while being non judgmental about a long-standing vexing problem. My view is that the reason this conflict seems frozen in time is that the various players that can solve it, the Greek and Turkish communities, the countries of Greece and Turkey and the important international actors such as the EU, Nato, the US and UN are more comfortable with stasis than what they fear from bringing about change.
UN developed a solution plan (Annan Plan) in 2004 but although turkish cypriots accepted it in the referendum unfortunately greek cypriots rejected it. also there were several additional UN efforts later to bring a solution but each time greek cypriots make them inconclusive because they enjoy the current situation (not sharing the administration with the turkish cypriots).. now our greek cypriot brothers will comment the opposite 😂
@@isbaraalp-b2t The only solution of an invasion and occupation of and independent state against international law is the withdrawal of invading troops according to UN resolutions .No referendum is needed Various " peace " plans benefit the agg resor not the vi ctim Sharing administration was tried in the past and failed due to continuous veto from the turkish side bcs it sought failure In a democratic EU state as Cyprus is , people vote and the one who gets the majority of votes rules all . All citizens , of minorities too have same rights no less but no more
@@giorgismaximos8662 please decide UN is good or not.. in one sentence you achieved a contradiction.. so you propose a solution other than bizonal, bicommunal federation, good luck
@@isbaraalp-b2t Show me where is the contradiction ? There are UN resolutions about Cyprus that Turkey never respected So is UN good for you or not ? Probably not good since you never followed its decisions and never left the island and recently attacked UN members UN should have forced you to leave The bizonal bicommunal federation is the official position of Greece and Cyprus supported by UN .Troops should leave It's a copromise and not fair
@@giorgismaximos8662 you are still contradicting with your earlier statement of yours above. r u a retired person having lots of free time or professional mouth of your goverment or a teenager? enough with you
I really like watching your videos. They are just well made and I like the authenticity. I did a day trip to the castle in Kyrenia and over the green line when ledra street was still an army checkpoint around 20 Years ago and had to go via one of the road crossings.
Gabe very interesting, I really don’t know Cyprus history except what you have provided but…the Turks invaded Cyprus and took over the northern area and then let a beautiful seaside city fall into ruins…wtf…
@@thetraveller1612My friend you should read history . Cyprus has always been a Greek island with Greek history and name Turks came to the island in 1571 as conquerors , lost the island by the British in 1878 and gave it to them in Lausanne 1923 for good . Greeks fought and gained the independence Cyprus has been an independent state since 1960 of which the northern part is occupied by Turkey against international law and UN resolutions
@@giorgismaximos8662your history knowledge lacks details.. details of 1960 constitution... attacks of greek cypriots in 1963 and 1967.. what happened on 15 july 1974 etc.
@@isbaraalp-b2t Obviously you couldn't say anything about what I wrote because it is the truth ! You may use these "details " as "justification " for the invasion but the occupation has been going on for 50 years Whatever your " excuse " is the only recognized state there is the Republic of Cyprus and turkish troops should have left decades ago . Let me remind you that Russia invded Ukraine with the same " excuse ", the protection of its people Turkey doesn't agree with Russian action and that's all because it 's done the same in Cyprus
Probably someone has already chimed in on why it was never re-inhabited but I easily found this on Wikipedia: "In 1984 a U.N. resolution called for the handover of the city to UN control and said that only the original inhabitants, who were forced out, could resettle in the town."
Solution, start to follow the UN resolutions, Turkish nationals that were moved onto the island need to leave, there should only be Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriot!
My hats off Gabriel..you have enough qualifications to be a Social Studies Educator in any educational institution in the US..I did not even know that Cleopatra's ancestry was Greek...WOW...and I guess that is why she was so beautiful...
Cleopatra was Greek herself. Not just of Greek ancestry. She was the last Ptolemei (Greek Royal House -one of Alexander the Great succesors) queen of Egypt.
Hi Gabriel, Nice enjoyable, very mellow vibe. You've done a lot of good reasearch for this video, thank you. Are you going to be driving specifically along the (Coast Highway) from Ayia Napa to Limassol to Paphos or visa versa, Greek Cypriot side this time ? Before going back to Greece ? 🙏
A blessed Good day sir Gabe Wowww What a nice Walk around tour There in Abandoned Town in Northern Cyprus, ❤, so Many Buildings Establishments, Business Commercial Centers, to See, and Thank u sir Gabe for your History Telling about this Very Interesting Place, of Northern Cyprus, Stay safe and Godbless from the Philippines 🇵🇭🙏🙂♥️
Hello Gabriel, there are still small villas, and other properties in Famagusta and ghost towm owned by the celebrities whom you have mentioned in the video and others as well.
Astonishing, I was there 6 years ago,and you could not walk beyond the armed Turkish or and UN troops..I know it doesn't lessen the hurt for all those that lost their homes and community, but at least this is a small step in the right direction, and next generation, like in Northern Ireland, can build for that future. Cyprus, I never tire of the place,has so much to offer
Wow, what a tragedy for the abandoned city since 1974. Incredible waste . These buildings and houses left to emptiness when they were once treasured. Too bad the Turks and Greeks cannot resolve this massive neglect. One could imagine it to be deserted in such a rapid way due to radiation like Chernobyl, but no …
Surely a tragedy. Looks abandoned like Chernobyl (accurately town of Pripyat) but it was the major touristic spot on Cyprus before 1974. Like Cypriot Beirut, it seems.
Wow, title history on a physical sign. Gotta read more about that. Ah, at 25:33 it says owner name illegally removed and renter illegally inserted. Wow.....glad I was not the title officer on that transaction......PS impressive how you remember even the basics of the history dates involved in that region...
At 22:15. You were wondering if the signage was Latin. Not Latin, it's Armenian. Armenians have been in Cyprus almost as long as the Greeks. Visit St Magar monastery in Karagas, it's on the Turkish side
I had a holiday in 1969 in Famagusta. I did not like the place. It is sad what happened later but I do not understand why it was popular with well known people. There are much nicer countries.
The city of Famagusta was founded around 274 BC, after the serious damage to Salamis by an earthquake, by Ptolemy II Philadelphus and named "Arsinoe" after his sister....Greek Cypriots natives were at first allowed to own and buy property in the city, but were banished from the walled city in 1573-74 and had to settle outside in the area that later developed into Varosha. Turkish families from Anatolia were resettled in the walled city.During the second phase of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus on 14 August 1974 the Mesaoria plain was overrun by Turkish tanks and Famagusta was bombed by Turkish aircraft. It took two days for the Turkish Army to occupy the city, prior to which Famagusta's entire Greek Cypriot population had fled into surrounding fields. As a result of Turkish airstrikes dozens of civilians died, including tourists. No Turks have any rights there!!!
Gabe some years ago bbc tv made a tv program showing inside the buildings and homes of the demilitarized zone were time has stood still since 1974 .the homes are left just as they were in 1974 when turkey invaded in the homes thee are meals still on the tables and 1970s interiors furniture or pre 1974 era there are cars from the early 1970s still in garages and parked outside people houses just abandoned the homes building and shops and just look liked they did in 1974 with there contents still in place looking just as they did when the people left them ,the bbc tv program could even be on you tube not sure,thats for another great set of videos Gabe happy safe travels
The important looking building is a Greek school. The turks covered the sign in greek above the entrance. So i guess they destroyed all the greek signs as well, thats why you havent seen any greek signs.
Varosha is NOT Evkaf land. There are documents to prove that evkaf was paid a lot of money (approx £1.5m) to relinquish its rights to Varosha property by the British back in 1960. Also, irrc two high profile TC people of the time pocketed that money for themselves!
Varosha remains Evkaf land. Evkaf land cannot be transferred. The land was illegally appropriated and given to Greek settlers in the aim to change the demographics of the island in favour of the Greeks. Why would the Greeks appropriate land fron Turks only to hand over to the Greeks!! Also no evidence of payment if land other than lease / upkeep payments. Provide independent evidence of the sale!!
Yes, Alexander’s conquests changed the world forever, the mix of civilizations produced a new world, for example it is generally agreed that Christianity is a mixture of Jewish and Greek civilizations that possibly would not have happened wihout Alexander’s conquests
Thank you for explaining all that as you walked, that is very helpful, but this situation is a confusing one, and I'm still unsure what is going on there, the "tourist zone" on that beautiful beach led to a barrier you were not authorized to cross, and I'm assuming that is some kind of demarcation line for Greek Cyprus.
The barrier that I walked to first at the end of the beach prevents you from going further into the abandoned city of Varosha. The other barrier I showed later between me and the nice beach with people on it was back in Northern Cyprus. So you could get there by going back to the entrance where I started the video and exiting Varosha. You could never see Greek Cyprus in this video, it was beyond all the tall buildings.
What happened to valuable items inside the abandoned buildings. Are they still inside or have the area been looted by criminals or the Turkish authorities?
greek cypriots started lootings first in famagusta, when turkish cypriots living outside of castle left their homes to shelter in the castle (old city)
Likewise....dont forget the Kurdish well-deserved state. Turkey must respect the Kurdish referendum for a free and independent Kurdistan. *#SanctionTurkeyNow** **#TurkeyMustPayForItsCrimesAgainstKurdishPeople*
If things were left to the Turks, they would make false claims to all lands. The Turks falsified claims to the Cathedral of Agia Sophia in Constantinople (Istanbul) by claiming the Ottoman caliph had bought the Cathedral from the Greek monks . As if those survivors then had any saying after the massacres and killings which took place when Constantinople fell to the invading Ottoman tribes.
The Persian Sassanid empire conquered Athens for a while before Alexander the great. Also one of the longest battles in history are the battles between The Persian empire and The Roman empire which lasted for centuries.
Hi Gabriel, there isn't any love lost between the two countries Greece and Turkey, but What I don't understand is why this is still maintained as something that is being used other than a monument to the past as a reminder. It's very morbid and human beings love the odd and strange in front of some beautiful beach property that could developed for beautiful housing and recreational facilities many things. It makes you wonder if the property is damaged in some way that it can't be reused for something else. Or does it represent the past war of the neighboring countries as a reminder that war isn't a solution to past differences? Compromising and seeking solutions to problems is the only way to rectify the past issues that have haunted this part of the world. Cyprus is still a strategic point to Europe and the Middle East of course modern technology has changed the military strategy of how wars are fought and may not be the focal point any longer.
Hello kind Sir, do you ever feel like your recording gets in your way of having genuine social interactions with others? You epitomize a global genius, and the whole earth is your personal giant wave where you surf better than Slater. Just curious here. Thank you for all you do
Don't forget that these videos are only small snippets of time, and he has many more hours during the day and night when he is not filming. I'm pretty sure he interacts with lots of people.
I'm not sure what you mean, but Richard the Lionheart was English. I discussed the Lusignans in the previous video: th-cam.com/video/LLSPeLynn1w/w-d-xo.html
I'm looking at the paved streets, crackless sidewalks, trash cans, tree's and grass! There's no way all of those stayed in that condition for 50 years. The vast majority of People who owned these properties have already passed away; unless they were under the age of 35 in 1974, To me, this is just a sad story and another example of why Aliens don't make contact with us!.
With a US passport you don't need a visa for Cyprus, you can stay for 90 days. See this page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_United_States_citizens And see this video about crossing the border: th-cam.com/video/a8fMk9OgJko/w-d-xo.html
@@GabrielTravelerVideos Yeah, I know. I was easily able to get into northern Cyprus from IST to ECN. What I meant was crossing the border between N. & S. Cyprus. It sounds like your were successful in doing this which is great! I was at the checkpoint of Deryneia but didn't try to cross it, as I was with a Turk and Cypriot at the moment, but the Turk couldn't cross.
Hi Gabriel, in 2004, UN proposal under "Annan Plan (check Wikipedia)"" for the reunification of Cyprus was voted and was supported by 65% of Turkish Cypriots, but only 24% of Greek Cypriots. Therefore and lots of other reasons, you see a separated Cyprus, unfortunately. Hope they can reach a resolution satisfies both parties in the future and people there live side by side in peace and prosperous.
Not only part of a past war zone but also a history vault, where do you see fur coats or fur openly sold in Europe, in stores, what was once luxury of the 70s, certainly not acceptable by today's standards.....just think of the gems in ordinary homes there, 70s tinned goods, boxed food items clothes left in wardrobes, childrens toys......sad but fascinating.....
Fur coats are still openly sold in Greece actually, including on touristy islands like Rhodes. The fur industry of the city of Kastoria, Greece dates back to the Byzantine Empire, and is still very much active with their mink farms, Greece is one of the remaining few European countries that still has a major fur industry, along with Finland, Russia and Poland.
Ι feel like i must to congratulate you for all information you provide about Greece and Cyprus in a unbiased manner!As a greek..At a time that everywhere prevails political correctness ..
What people can do to themself in the name of religion . John Lennon- Imagine all the people , living life in peace ...The Heaven is here , on the Earth but people ruin everything ...Religion & Politics ...
🤔 Why wasn't the place used by the existing people there now? Makes no sense to leave it completely abandoned. I've seen this in other places. Maybe the people who abandoned it. Still have some claim to it.
I suppose it's not that simple now as most of the infrastructure has to be rebuilt, e.g. electricity, sewer systems, water etc., and it is a huge teritory. It will cost enourmous amount of money to return it place to life. Plus legally there are still private properties of various people. It is very complicated it seems..
I agree that the properties are tied up in legalities. I have seen this in a lot in other counties and the developments just rot away. I wasn't sure because when the Turks took it over, that could of included seizing all land and appropriating it for themselves.
04:47 Correction: There was a green line only in Nicosia, not across the island before 1974. Also, 200,000 non-Turkish Cypriots lived in their homes in the north before 1974.
@@thetraveller1612 This is from Wikipedia about Turkish invasion of Cyprus: Result Turkish victory Greek Cypriot military junta in Cyprus collapses on 23 July 1974 Greek military junta in Greece collapses on 24 July 1974 200,000 Greek Cypriots displaced 50,000 Turkish Cypriots displaced
A few clarifications:
3:45 I'm not sure if it's accurate to say that there was an official offer to Cyprus to join Greece. But as I understand it this it was being seriously discussed on both sides.
22:13 While watching the video back I realized the language is probably Armenian. Can anyone confirm?
23:55 It wasn't entirely accurate to say that ancient Macedonia had nothing to do with modern North Macedonia. Although the capital city, where King Philip and Alexander the Great lived, was in Pella in modern Greece, the ancient kingdom of Macedonia was partly in modern day North Macedonia and there are ruins there that you can visit, including a castle built by King Philip. And of course some of the history and culture has been passed on to the people who live there now. My point was that the modern country of North Macedonia is primarily Slavic, which has very little to do with ancient Greece. I discussed the topic further in this video: th-cam.com/video/NUnP2Uyg_R8/w-d-xo.html
You score high marks with me with your intended objectivity. I hope it wears well with both sides. Good luck!
re: 3:45- what happened in July, 1974 was that Greece, which was ruled by a failing military dictatorship at the time, sponsored a coup in Cyprus that overthrew the legitimate government, and installed an ultranationalist puppet regime who's ultimate goal was annexation by Greece. This provoked Turkey to launch the first of its two invasions of Cyprus. The first Turkish invasion was less intense than the second, and widely seen as legimitate by the international community because of the ultranationalist actions from the Greek side that threatened the Turkish-Cypriots. However, by August, 1974, both the junta regime in Greece and the puppet regime it installed in Cyprus had collapsed, peace talks were underway in Switzerland to normalize the situation on the island, but Turkey, with the blessing of US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, launched a 2nd invasion anyway, which was much deeper and more intense than the first, and which is still going on to this day, nearly half a century later.
Yes the names 22:13 are armenian most probably Armenians of Turkey because many families still carry Turkish names which indicate a job title with the ian addition to make it sound Armenian.
Incredibly interesting, these last two videos! Somehow really fun to see you driving, too!
Abandoned dump, right up your alley
Great video! Cyprus is an ancient place of great historical and biblical significance. Cyprus is known as kittim or chittim in the Bible and a part of the Greek world. Kittim was a son of Javan(biblical Greeks) along with Rhodes (Dodanin, the Greek isles (Elisha), tarshish (tarsus turkey) and Cyprus (kittim) Genesis 10:4. All these places where Greek first then there were other invaders. Alexander knew this and did not have to conquer Cyprus as they gladly joined the Greeks and provided most of the Greek naval fleet and from Cyprus the greeks launched their conquest of tyre and the levant mentioned in Numbers 24:24 and the book of Maccabees as chittim.
You continue to take us to places we didn’t know existed. Well done! Keep doing what you’re doing. Thank you!
All things considered, Varosha appears to be pretty well preserved in spite of decades of neglect. Nice walkthrough. A little aside on the 1974 conflict. A high school acquaintance of mine was stationed with the USAF on Cyprus at that time and he related the Turkish soldiers roughed him up pretty well before he fled.
Seeing how nature reclaims a city like that, one thing is clear: we are at it's mercy, no matter how much we think we master it.
Exactly! Well said! 👍🙏⚖️🙏
I love those historical tidbits you provide us, thank you for what you do :)
Wow, amazing city with an equally amazing history. Thanks for sharing. Would love to walk through this ghost town. This vlog is one of your best!
Absolutely fascinating and tragic history. Thank you so much for sharing this with us…
All the empty houses belongs to Greek Cypriots.! Hopefully they can come back one day to their properties!
🙏🙏🙏
then give back the properties to Turkish Cypriots in the south.
Apparently there's a hotel on my family's property in Paphos...
Liar this area was Ottoman trust property for which the ownership was illegally changed by the British and given to Greeks. In no part of the world trust property can be changed. Liars
@@giuc100 In 1960 all those areas became part of the Republic of Cyprus. We lived peacefully until EOKA B started this mess and tried to kill our president and archibishop and later Turkey invaded and destroyed monuments, churches and houses. We both made mistakes unfortunately
Thanks Gabriel, for the informative history lesson. You filled in some holes in my understanding. I appreciate your curiosity and careful attention to everything around you.
Safe travels, Jul and family 😊
Such a tragic situation, but I’m glad the Turks weren’t able to just step in and occupy the town.
Hi we born cyprus and live in the north nice to see you here. Thanks for your videos
I was just here 10 days ago and took a golf cart ride around the ghost town of Varosha with my Turkish client and her Cypriot colleague. The history of this town is so tragic and sad. ): Thank you so much Gabriel for sharing your knowledge of this area and the history involved! Kudos to you! (:
Almost anytime you see -ian on a last name, it will be Armenian.
“Ouzounian is the Turkic variant of an Armenian name most commonly found in South Central Turkey prior to the diaspora and consequently in Syria and Lebanon. The name comes from Turkish ‘ouzou’ which means long or tall and the common Armenian suffix ‘ian’ which means man or person.”
Exactly, i.e. the Kardashians and Cher (Cherilyn Sarkisian).
interestingly in iran some surnames end with ian too and they are not armenians
I gotta ask, Gabe. I've watched your videos for years. Do you ever find yourself getting depressed when you're on the road for months on end? If so, how do you deal with it so that you continue having the energy to travel and make your amazing videos?
Yeah I’ve often wondered about dealing with loneliness too
IMO the travels seem to give him energy and joy. But who am i to say...He never comes across as depressed to me.
How can you be depressed??? He has the best work in the world just traveling.
I’ve travelled Europe months on end. Can’t say I ever felt lonely, when I’m meeting people everywhere.
He has all of us viewers interacting with him too.
Since thousands of tourists visited Varosha yearly, signage were in English for mostly English speaking, visitors.Shops, hotels, restaurants, and bars.
The northern part of the city, were inhabited by mainly GC, and therefore signage were both in Greek and English
The English names was for tourism mainly...but they were prodominatly owned by greeks. Varosha is my dad's hometown before the 1974 invasion. His part is still a ghost town 😔
👋Hi Gabriel,
Another very interesting historical lesson, for us all to take in.
It looks very hot in this footage & I hope you were wearing sunscreen.
Thanks for sharing & here's wishing you more wonderful travels.
Peace✌
I love all your stories! Very educational.
Gabe - Very nice job on this one; you have been both informative to your viewers while being non judgmental about a long-standing vexing problem. My view is that the reason this conflict seems frozen in time is that the various players that can solve it, the Greek and Turkish communities, the countries of Greece and Turkey and the important international actors such as the EU, Nato, the US and UN are more comfortable with stasis than what they fear from bringing about change.
UN developed a solution plan (Annan Plan) in 2004 but although turkish cypriots accepted it in the referendum unfortunately greek cypriots rejected it. also there were several additional UN efforts later to bring a solution but each time greek cypriots make them inconclusive because they enjoy the current situation (not sharing the administration with the turkish cypriots)..
now our greek cypriot brothers will comment the opposite 😂
@@isbaraalp-b2t The only solution of an invasion and occupation of and independent state against international law is the withdrawal of invading troops
according to UN resolutions .No referendum is needed
Various " peace " plans benefit the agg resor not the vi ctim
Sharing administration was tried in the past and failed due to continuous veto from the turkish side bcs it sought failure
In a democratic EU state as Cyprus is , people vote and the one who gets the majority
of votes rules all . All citizens , of minorities too have same rights no less but no more
@@giorgismaximos8662 please decide UN is good or not.. in one sentence you achieved a contradiction..
so you propose a solution other than bizonal, bicommunal federation, good luck
@@isbaraalp-b2t Show me where is the contradiction ?
There are UN resolutions about Cyprus that Turkey never respected
So is UN good for you or not ? Probably not good since you never followed its decisions and never left the island and recently attacked UN members
UN should have forced you to leave
The bizonal bicommunal federation is the official position of Greece and Cyprus
supported by UN .Troops should leave
It's a copromise and not fair
@@giorgismaximos8662 you are still contradicting with your earlier statement of yours above. r u a retired person having lots of free time or professional mouth of your goverment or a teenager?
enough with you
These are the homes of people who became refugees, who lost their homes and their families. It is crazy to think it is a tourist attraction now.
I really like watching your videos. They are just well made and I like the authenticity. I did a day trip to the castle in Kyrenia and over the green line when ledra street was still an army checkpoint around 20 Years ago and had to go via one of the road crossings.
Gabe very interesting, I really don’t know Cyprus history except what you have provided but…the Turks invaded Cyprus and took over the northern area and then let a beautiful seaside city fall into ruins…wtf…
Wrong. Please research some history before making ignorant conclusions!
My thoughts exactly. What was their point?😮
@@thetraveller1612My friend you should read history . Cyprus has always been a Greek
island with Greek history and name
Turks came to the island in 1571 as conquerors , lost the island by the British in 1878
and gave it to them in Lausanne 1923 for good . Greeks fought and gained the independence
Cyprus has been an independent state since 1960 of which the northern part is occupied by Turkey against international law and UN resolutions
@@giorgismaximos8662your history knowledge lacks details.. details of 1960 constitution... attacks of greek cypriots in 1963 and 1967.. what happened on 15 july 1974 etc.
@@isbaraalp-b2t Obviously you couldn't say anything about what I wrote because
it is the truth !
You may use these "details " as "justification " for the invasion but the occupation has been going on for 50 years
Whatever your " excuse " is the only recognized state there is the Republic of Cyprus
and turkish troops should have left decades ago .
Let me remind you that Russia invded Ukraine with the same " excuse ", the protection
of its people
Turkey doesn't agree with Russian action and that's all because it 's done the same
in Cyprus
Thank you so much for that amazing information 😊 fascinating 🙏🌟
As a Greek it's very heartbreaking for me to watch 😢
Fascinating video my friend... thanks
Walking through the ruined cities is just so surreal.
Probably someone has already chimed in on why it was never re-inhabited but I easily found this on Wikipedia: "In 1984 a U.N. resolution called for the handover of the city to UN control and said that only the original inhabitants, who were forced out, could resettle in the town."
Solution, start to follow the UN resolutions, Turkish nationals that were moved onto the island need to leave, there should only be Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriot!
in your dreams
@@sametasl160 clearly uneducated!
@@sametasl160 IN YOUR DREAMS YOU WILL BECOME EUROPEAN 🙂
That’s a bit xenophobic
@@Mozgor take it with the United Nations
I've been following for a while. I loved the vlogs from Guatemala.
Thanks a lot, I appreciate it. 👍✌️
Great video, sad the dispute was never solved
Wonderful but sad video, History and Tragedy; not just rhyme but they converge frequently
My hats off Gabriel..you have enough qualifications to be a Social Studies Educator in any educational institution in the US..I did not even know that Cleopatra's ancestry was Greek...WOW...and I guess that is why she was so beautiful...
Cleopatra was Greek herself. Not just of Greek ancestry. She was the last Ptolemei (Greek Royal House -one of Alexander the Great succesors) queen of Egypt.
Hi Gabriel, Nice enjoyable, very mellow vibe. You've done a lot of good reasearch for this video, thank you. Are you going to be driving specifically along the (Coast Highway) from Ayia Napa to Limassol to Paphos or visa versa, Greek Cypriot side this time ?
Before going back to Greece ? 🙏
A blessed Good day sir Gabe Wowww What a nice Walk around tour There in Abandoned Town in Northern Cyprus, ❤, so Many Buildings Establishments, Business Commercial Centers, to See, and Thank u sir Gabe for your History Telling about this Very Interesting Place, of Northern Cyprus,
Stay safe and Godbless from the Philippines 🇵🇭🙏🙂♥️
Hello Gabriel, there are still small villas, and other properties in Famagusta and ghost towm owned by the celebrities whom you have mentioned in the video and others as well.
Astonishing, I was there 6 years ago,and you could not walk beyond the armed Turkish or and UN troops..I know it doesn't lessen the hurt for all those that lost their homes and community, but at least this is a small step in the right direction, and next generation, like in Northern Ireland, can build for that future. Cyprus, I never tire of the place,has so much to offer
Thanks for the upload, wonderful series, really inspired me to visit Northern Cyprus.
Hi Gabe, thank you for sharing nice video. Chaos
Ancient ruins are fascinating. Fresh ruins are creepy.
Wow, what a tragedy for the abandoned city since 1974. Incredible waste . These buildings and houses left to emptiness when they were once treasured. Too bad the Turks and Greeks cannot resolve this massive neglect. One could imagine it to be deserted in such a rapid way due to radiation like Chernobyl, but no …
Gabe ….. get yourself to the Cyprus vs Scotland soccer match tomorrow…… you won’t regret it…… Toronto
My bad…….. it’s this coming Friday…. Get yourself there and get a ticket where the Scottish fans are…. Guaranteed laughs and a party!!
Nice man 🎉 I am traveling the south of Thailand currently
Surely a tragedy. Looks abandoned like Chernobyl (accurately town of Pripyat) but it was the major touristic spot on Cyprus before 1974. Like Cypriot Beirut, it seems.
Great video Gabe what a waste of a city back in the old days a top holiday destination☺
19.55 - was the girls high school that overlooked the boys gymnasium across the park.
very interesting, a whole city abandoned, wow
Wow, title history on a physical sign. Gotta read more about that. Ah, at 25:33 it says owner name illegally removed and renter illegally inserted. Wow.....glad I was not the title officer on that transaction......PS impressive how you remember even the basics of the history dates involved in that region...
Water looks amazing
At 22:15. You were wondering if the signage was Latin. Not Latin, it's Armenian. Armenians have been in Cyprus almost as long as the Greeks. Visit St Magar monastery in Karagas, it's on the Turkish side
Yep, I figured that out when I watched the finished video, see the comment I pinned at the top with a few clarifications.
Stunning
I had a holiday in 1969 in Famagusta. I did not like the place. It is sad what happened later but I do not understand why it was popular with well known people. There are much nicer countries.
The city of Famagusta was founded around 274 BC, after the serious damage to Salamis by an earthquake, by Ptolemy II Philadelphus and named "Arsinoe" after his sister....Greek Cypriots natives were at first allowed to own and buy property in the city, but were banished from the walled city in 1573-74 and had to settle outside in the area that later developed into Varosha. Turkish families from Anatolia were resettled in the walled city.During the second phase of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus on 14 August 1974 the Mesaoria plain was overrun by Turkish tanks and Famagusta was bombed by Turkish aircraft. It took two days for the Turkish Army to occupy the city, prior to which Famagusta's entire Greek Cypriot population had fled into surrounding fields. As a result of Turkish airstrikes dozens of civilians died, including tourists. No Turks have any rights there!!!
Great history story 👍👍👍
Gabe some years ago bbc tv made a tv program showing inside the buildings and homes of the demilitarized zone were time has stood still since 1974 .the homes are left just as they were in 1974 when turkey invaded in the homes thee are meals still on the tables and 1970s interiors furniture or pre 1974 era there are cars from the early 1970s still in garages and parked outside people houses just abandoned the homes building and shops and just look liked they did in 1974 with there contents still in place looking just as they did when the people left them ,the bbc tv program could even be on you tube not sure,thats for another great set of videos Gabe happy safe travels
Amazing. There’s brand new 1974 cars in the showrooms I’ve heard.
I think that’s in the Nicosia DMZ - I’m afraid Varosha was pretty much pick cleaned when the civilian population fled in august 1974.
Thanks Gabriel 👌👌
The important looking building is a Greek school. The turks covered the sign in greek above the entrance. So i guess they destroyed all the greek signs as well, thats why you havent seen any greek signs.
Freedom to Cyprus all foreign armies should leave. This includes the Turkish and British army.
sounds good but who will protect turkish cypriots (and akel supporters) from greek fascists?
Aren't Akel supporters already in the south, and they are just fine?
@@tombuddy100 c'mon u should know that i meant during fassaria times
Varosha is NOT Evkaf land. There are documents to prove that evkaf was paid a lot of money (approx £1.5m) to relinquish its rights to Varosha property by the British back in 1960. Also, irrc two high profile TC people of the time pocketed that money for themselves!
Varosha remains Evkaf land. Evkaf land cannot be transferred. The land was illegally appropriated and given to Greek settlers in the aim to change the demographics of the island in favour of the Greeks.
Why would the Greeks appropriate land fron Turks only to hand over to the Greeks!!
Also no evidence of payment if land other than lease / upkeep payments. Provide independent evidence of the sale!!
@@thetraveller1612correct! many old turkish cypriots i met say the same thing.
Yes, Alexander’s conquests changed the world forever, the mix of civilizations produced a new world, for example it is generally agreed that Christianity is a mixture of Jewish and Greek civilizations that possibly would not have happened wihout Alexander’s conquests
Thank you for explaining all that as you walked, that is very helpful, but this situation is a confusing one, and I'm still unsure what is going on there, the "tourist zone" on that beautiful beach led to a barrier you were not authorized to cross, and I'm assuming that is some kind of demarcation line for Greek Cyprus.
The barrier that I walked to first at the end of the beach prevents you from going further into the abandoned city of Varosha. The other barrier I showed later between me and the nice beach with people on it was back in Northern Cyprus. So you could get there by going back to the entrance where I started the video and exiting Varosha. You could never see Greek Cyprus in this video, it was beyond all the tall buildings.
@@GabrielTravelerVideos OK, thanks. What a fk'n mess.
Hi Gabriel, you sound milder today, good accurate commentary.
Can you still hear the sound of cicadas now in September in Cyprus?
You mean cicadas.
Cicadas make a continuous buzzing sound, whereas crickets make a more quiet chirping sound.
Yes, I heard them in Cyprus. I left the island yesterday, no cicadas where I am now.
@@GabrielTravelerVideos Georgia doesn't have them?
@@tombuddy100 I haven't heard them in Tbilisi, I guess we'll see if they're elsewhere. I don't remember hearing them on previous trips.
What happened to valuable items inside the abandoned buildings. Are they still inside or have the area been looted by criminals or the Turkish authorities?
greek cypriots started lootings first in famagusta, when turkish cypriots living outside of castle left their homes to shelter in the castle (old city)
Don't forget❗️ The Treaty of Guarantee is a treaty between Cyprus, Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom that was promulgated in 1960.
Likewise....dont forget the Kurdish well-deserved state. Turkey must respect the Kurdish referendum for a free and independent Kurdistan. *#SanctionTurkeyNow** **#TurkeyMustPayForItsCrimesAgainstKurdishPeople*
22:00 Did you notice the big Phillips sign on the roof?
Great trip.
interesting video 👍
We are all one. Being friends is a great start the world has forgotten that.
If things were left to the Turks, they would make false claims to all lands. The Turks falsified claims to the Cathedral of Agia Sophia in Constantinople (Istanbul) by claiming the Ottoman caliph had bought the Cathedral from the Greek monks . As if those survivors then had any saying after the massacres and killings which took place when Constantinople fell to the invading Ottoman tribes.
😂😂😂😂
Racism!
The Persian Sassanid empire conquered Athens for a while before Alexander the great. Also one of the longest battles in history are the battles between The Persian empire and The Roman empire which lasted for centuries.
Why am i looking at your cell phone screen while you walk and read to me?
Yes, amazing city, like it
It seems that you don't need to book a hotel, since most of demilitarised area has empty houses
Great video 🎉 Thank you so much for your informative history lesson ❤
Hi Gabriel, there isn't any love lost between the two countries Greece and Turkey, but What I don't understand is why this is still maintained as something that is being used other than a monument to the past as a reminder. It's very morbid and human beings love the odd and strange in front of some beautiful beach property that could developed for beautiful housing and recreational facilities many things. It makes you wonder if the property is damaged in some way that it can't be reused for something else. Or does it represent the past war of the neighboring countries as a reminder that war isn't a solution to past differences? Compromising and seeking solutions to problems is the only way to rectify the past issues that have haunted this part of the world. Cyprus is still a strategic point to Europe and the Middle East of course modern technology has changed the military strategy of how wars are fought and may not be the focal point any longer.
If they give this place to poor people they can live with free of rent and they can build it again better than empty ,,is a beautiful area
Hello kind Sir, do you ever feel like your recording gets in your way of having genuine social interactions with others? You epitomize a global genius, and the whole earth is your personal giant wave where you surf better than Slater. Just curious here. Thank you for all you do
Don't forget that these videos are only small snippets of time, and he has many more hours during the day and night when he is not filming. I'm pretty sure he interacts with lots of people.
@@christinelamb1167 well put! Dude is a genius
correction: Cypress- Richard the Lionheart- Templars- Lusignan family
I'm not sure what you mean, but Richard the Lionheart was English. I discussed the Lusignans in the previous video: th-cam.com/video/LLSPeLynn1w/w-d-xo.html
You are boomeranging back to a Greek Island, aren't you ? :D
I'm looking at the paved streets, crackless sidewalks, trash cans, tree's and grass! There's no way all of those stayed in that condition for 50 years. The vast majority of People who owned these properties have already passed away; unless they were under the age of 35 in 1974, To me, this is just a sad story and another example of why Aliens don't make contact with us!.
How were you able to cross from northern Cyprus to southern Cyprus? Do you have EU citizenship, or did you have to get a visa?🤔
With a US passport you don't need a visa for Cyprus, you can stay for 90 days. See this page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_United_States_citizens
And see this video about crossing the border: th-cam.com/video/a8fMk9OgJko/w-d-xo.html
@@GabrielTravelerVideos Yeah, I know. I was easily able to get into northern Cyprus from IST to ECN. What I meant was crossing the border between N. & S. Cyprus. It sounds like your were successful in doing this which is great! I was at the checkpoint of Deryneia but didn't try to cross it, as I was with a Turk and Cypriot at the moment, but the Turk couldn't cross.
@@GabrielTravelerVideos where were you able to cross with no problem?
@@CarrieJane27 See this video, I talk about the whole situation and show where I crossed: th-cam.com/video/a8fMk9OgJko/w-d-xo.html
Hi Gabriel, in 2004, UN proposal under "Annan Plan (check Wikipedia)"" for the reunification of Cyprus was voted and was supported by 65% of Turkish Cypriots, but only 24% of Greek Cypriots. Therefore and lots of other reasons, you see a separated Cyprus, unfortunately. Hope they can reach a resolution satisfies both parties in the future and people there live side by side in peace and prosperous.
Sure, as soon as Republic of Cyprus is restored on all of its territory, and everyone given back their property and land legally belonging to them.
@@tombuddy100you mean bizonal, bicommunal federation?
@@isbaraalp-b2t No. I mean Republic of Cyprus pre-invasion pre-occupation and pre-ethnic cleansing.
Not only part of a past war zone but also a history vault, where do you see fur coats or fur openly sold in Europe, in stores, what was once luxury of the 70s, certainly not acceptable by today's standards.....just think of the gems in ordinary homes there, 70s tinned goods, boxed food items clothes left in wardrobes, childrens toys......sad but fascinating.....
Fur coats are still openly sold in Greece actually, including on touristy islands like Rhodes. The fur industry of the city of Kastoria, Greece dates back to the Byzantine Empire, and is still very much active with their mink farms, Greece is one of the remaining few European countries that still has a major fur industry, along with Finland, Russia and Poland.
I saw the map of cypress and cannot help but to wonder about the broken lines representing dirt roads getting shredded by a 500cc rally build.
This city could become a film directors set for a post/ apocalyptic / horror movie ( ifanyone is interested comment and ill do the set desgin) 😉
HALLOWEEN 1990, WEMBLEY ARENA, MIRACLE TICKET, ACID, DARK STAR...
Ι feel like i must to congratulate you for all information you provide about Greece and Cyprus in a unbiased manner!As a greek..At a time that everywhere prevails political correctness ..
Thank you
DONT TELL ME THIS TOWN AIN´T GOT NO HEART, JUST GOTTA POKE AROUND
Viva Garcia. ✌️
What people can do to themself in the name of religion . John Lennon- Imagine all the people , living life in peace ...The Heaven is here , on the Earth but people ruin everything ...Religion & Politics ...
Beautifull💎✨️👍🏻
Awesome
If Makarious and his accolades had been stopped this would not have happened!!
Have you never heard the saying 'as rich as Croesus'?
I have now.
🤔 Why wasn't the place used by the existing people there now? Makes no sense to leave it completely abandoned. I've seen this in other places. Maybe the people who abandoned it. Still have some claim to it.
I was thinking the same thing.
I suppose it's not that simple now as most of the infrastructure has to be rebuilt, e.g. electricity, sewer systems, water etc., and it is a huge teritory. It will cost enourmous amount of money to return it place to life. Plus legally there are still private properties of various people. It is very complicated it seems..
I agree that the properties are tied up in legalities. I have seen this in a lot in other counties and the developments just rot away. I wasn't sure because when the Turks took it over, that could of included seizing all land and appropriating it for themselves.
My mother land Cyprus ❤
Cool ghost town
Such a waste all the empty shops and buildings
How much is it ?
It was free to enter.
04:47 Correction:
There was a green line only in Nicosia, not across the island before 1974.
Also, 200,000 non-Turkish Cypriots lived in their homes in the north before 1974.
UN records 110k Greek Cypriots moved from North to South and 60k Turkish Cypriots moved from South to North
@@thetraveller1612 This is from Wikipedia about Turkish invasion of Cyprus:
Result
Turkish victory
Greek Cypriot military junta in Cyprus collapses on 23 July 1974
Greek military junta in Greece collapses on 24 July 1974
200,000 Greek Cypriots displaced
50,000 Turkish Cypriots displaced
@@tombuddy100dear tom, have you asked yourself why the greenline was needed? to protect who from whom?
@@isbaraalp-b2t There was an intercommunal violence between EOKA and TMT.
Thus the green line.