Famagusta: Glimmers of Hope in the Closed City

Photos from the central avenue of closed Famagusta, taken by cultural creator Yianna Tsolaki during a visit with her husband, doctor Marios Tsolakis, capture a poignant image.

The photos immortalize 50 points on the sidewalks, engraved with names and other details, presumably of tourists, from 1973 and 1974, before the Turkish invasion. "We went last year and I believe we must go, to be seen, to make them feel that we are still claiming…," said Mrs. Tsolaki.

The engraved words remained intact, witnessing an era before the city closed for decades. Mrs. Tsolaki selected 50 photos for a work on the 50 years of Famagusta's occupation, which will be presented in November 2025 at the Centre for Applied Philosophy, Politics and Ethics at the University of Brighton.

The photos were included in invitations and posters for the conference. These images, with the words that endured among the ruins, are small glimmers of hope.