Letting Me Decay. Letting You Forget?

Ruination happens at two speeds: furious and slow--that is sudden and unbidden or inevitable and imperceptible, and both speeds were evident in Varosha's case: an abrupt abandonment, yet gradual destruction. When Cyprus gained its independence from British rule in 1960, the government identified potential areas that could boost tourism development across the country. The golden sand and the blue Mediterranean Sea breaking gently against Varosha's shore fostered an area-wide construction boom. Luxurious, modern hotels appeared along the city's coastline, transforming it into a cosmopolitan tourist resort. It was not long after the island's independence, however, that internal turmoil between Greek and Turkish Cypriots threatened the nation's peaceful future. Here, Palate assembles images that show the periphery of Varosha during its enclosure.