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Famagusta, Cyprus, is located in the north. It was founded by Greeks in the 3rd century BC and became a major trading port. Famagusta today is home to the Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU), one of Cyprus’s leading educational institutions.
This city is spectacular. It’s as much a sightseeing haven as a residential district (rentals easier to find than purchases), with a lively nightlife as well as lots to keep you busy with during the day.
This city reminds us of Valletta’s old town in Malta but is much more of a “real city.” Valletta’s walled city doesn’t have a whole lot going on once business hours have passed, but Famagusta is a walled city that is as contemporary as it is ancient.
Famagusta gained wealth over the centuries to the point that by 1300 it was one of the richest cities in Christendom.
By the mid-14th century, Famagusta was said to have the richest citizens in the world. Back then, wealth was measured by the number of churches you had, so the city went ahead and built churches.
Sometimes called the city of 365 churches, legend has it that at the city’s height, it had a church for every day of the year. To this day the old town is known as the church district.
Famagusta owes its historic wealth to having the deepest harbor in the region, one of the reasons the British singled the city out during their reign, as well. From the start, it had been targeted for development with the Famagusta Development Act, and after WWI, the city’s shipping traffic had increased, and it began to rival Larnaca.
By 1974, it was contributing over 10% to the country’s economy and accounted for a major part of tourism. It was taken in the Turkish invasion, and a suburb of the city, Varosha, was kept fenced off from the public until 2020.
Varosha is now open to tourists, and it’s worth a walk through the ghost town… it brings a new level of reality to the historical conflict.
Famagusta is now the most important port in Northern Cyprus, accounting for much of its shipping and travel, as well as a significant amount of tourism.
