Once a glittering jewel of Famagusta, Varosha Beach Resort now stands as a haunting relic of the past. With its turquoise waters and golden beaches, the resort is surrounded by signs that warn of a "Forbidden Zone," patrolled by gun-toting soldiers. This eerie juxtaposition of beauty and desolation is a result of Cyprus's tumultuous history.

Since 1974, the island has been divided by the "Green Line," a UN buffer zone separating the Greek-controlled south from the Turkish-controlled north. This division followed a violent conflict triggered by a Greek military coup, which led to Turkey's invasion of the north. Thousands of Greek Cypriots were expelled to the south, while Turkish Cypriots in the south fled north.

Before this upheaval, Famagusta was Cyprus's top tourist destination. The Varosha quarter, with its high-rise hotels, attracted celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot. However, after the invasion, Varosha's 39,000 residents fled, leaving the area a ghost town enclosed by barbed wire and controlled by the Turkish military. Decades of neglect have left its buildings crumbling.

Silent Thunder Tiktok tell about a story of social links, unraveling the layers of beauty and desolation...