Famagusta Map

The Invasion

In 1974 the Turkish Army invaded the island in two phases: the first began on 20 July and the second on 14 August. My family's home town of Famagusta was severly bombarded during both phases of the invasion and was eventually captured during the second phase in mid-August 1974. The following pictures were taken during both invasion phases, showing the devastasion caused by the Turkish airforce - it should be noted that Cyprus maintained no airforce at the time!

My family's home in Famagusta

"The asphalt on the roads has cracked in the warm sun and along the sidewalks bushes are growing.Today-September 1977-the breakfast tables are still set, the laundry still hanging and the lamps still burning.

Varosha is a ghost town."

                                                                                               Journalist Jan-Olof Bentsson in  the          

                                                               Swedish newspaper "Kvallposten" (24 September 1977)
 

This is my family's home in Famagusta's sealed off section since the Turkish invasion in 1974.

 This my family's home entrance from the inside as my father photographed it in 2003.

 This is our family's living room. There is no furniture left since the Turkish army systematically looted all our belongings from our house after the 1974 invasion of Cyprus.

 This is the corridoe from our bedrooms to our kitchen - all closet doors are broken and everything in the closets is gone, stolen.

 Our kitchen looks barren - even the wood panelling was taken!