Maras town in Northern Cyprus hosts 150,000 tourists

By Muhammet Ikbal Arslan

GAZIMAGUSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (AA) - The number of domestic and foreign tourists visiting the town of Maras in Northern Cyprus, which was partially reopened to the public in 2020 after 47 years, has reached 150,000.

Tourists flocked the pristine beaches of the town despite coronavirus restrictions.

The latest rules announced this month allow access to public spots of Maras between 8.00 a.m. and 8.00 p.m. local time.

The municipality continues to arrange food kiosks and offer bike rental services to the tourists.

Also, beach umbrellas and sun loungers have been placed on two different beaches. Lifeguards have been assigned along 800 meters of the coast.

The island of Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation of the island was followed by violence against the island’s Turks and Ankara’s intervention as a guarantor power.

It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Turkey, Greece, and the UK. The TRNC was founded in 1983.