Forgotten churches, an apocalyptic car showroom, barren boutiques and high-rise buildings that nature has reclaimed.
These haunting photos capture the once-booming seaside resort of Varosha, located on a coastline formerly known as the Eastern Mediterranean Riviera.
Located in a UN buffer zone separating Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus and the Republic of Cyprus, Varosia is under the control of the Turkish military. The Greek Cypriot residents fled Turkey's invasion in 1974 – and Varosha has been a ghost town ever since.
The mesmerizing images were taken by Dimitri Bourriau, who specializes in capturing the beauty of abandoned buildings – relics of a bygone world, frozen in time.
The French photographer, who has 58,000 followers on Instagram, turned his lens on forgotten travel destinations ten years ago. His work took him to countries such as Morocco, Greece, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Armenia and the USA
When asked what inspired the Cyprus project, 40-year-old Dimitri told Web Travel: “Humans are capable of building fascinating things.” Unfortunately, some places are forgotten. I try to remember the places before they disappear. “In some cases my photos are almost a work of memory.”
French photographer Dimitri Bourriau explains that after Turkey's invasion in 1974, Varosha (pictured) was “guarded by the Turkish army for more than 50 years.”
An old school in Varosha that has fallen into disrepair. “The interior seemed interesting to me, but I couldn't find access,” explains Dimitri
In the eerie “ghost town” there are still signs pointing to the city bazaar of Varosha.
Dimitri wanders the streets of Varosha and photographs the decaying buildings
The Varosha district has “a long and tragic history,” comments Dimitri, adding: “Nothing could stop nature from reclaiming its rights over the various buildings of the area.”
Pictured: An old Toyota dealership on the resort's main street has fallen into disrepair
Dimitri captures what appears to him to be an “impressive waterfall of vegetation” at the front of the Angolis Hotel Flats, one of several large hotel “ghosts” in the area
The vegetation has spread most in the northern quarter (pictured), explains Dimitri
Dimitri says he was drawn to the brutalist architecture of this ancient Orthodox church in northern Varosia
In the picture above, plants are taking over an abandoned hotel. In the image, tangled tendrils can be seen snaking up the front of the building and wrapping around the balconies
According to Dimitri, this is the outer shell of what was once a busy storefront
This abandoned home casts far-reaching shadows on the ground (left). On the right is an abandoned hotel that once housed many tourists visiting the nearby beaches
LEFT: Nature is reclaiming a former women's clothing store. RIGHT: “This little street is very interesting,” says Dimitri about this photo. “In the distance we can see another Orthodox church in the forbidden zone”
Lost in Time: A small abandoned house now covered in vegetation
This image, taken in northern Varosha, shows an abandoned hotel next to two palm trees – a reminder of the area's former identity as a popular seaside resort
Some of the letters fell from the storefront of this supermarket that once served Varosha's residents and passing tourists
There is still a rusty security grille at the Varosha Bank of Cyprus, although it was abandoned and there was no ATM in sight
LEFT: An abandoned house in Varosha, tightly locked “to avoid intruders.” Reflecting on the area's past, Dimitri added: “The residents had to leave the area in a hurry in the 1970s. “They were never allowed to return.” RIGHT: This eerie photo shows a bell tower standing in front of a ghostly high-rise building