Famagusta Municipality announced that the civil group “Famagusta our Town” in cooperation with Famagusta Initiative are inviting pilgrims from the free areas of Cyprus to attend the epitaph ((Bier of Christ) liturgy on Good Friday at St. George Church (Exorinos) in the occupied north.
An announcement from Famagusta Municipality said that invitations have been sent to the leaders of the two communities as well as ambassadors and journalists.

Pilgrims will attend the liturgy at Agios Georgios (Exorinos) within the Walled Town of Famagusta starting at 1700 and the Epitaph procession will follow within the Walled Town of Famagusta.

Famagusta Municipality expects a large number of pilgrims to attend and is organizing buses from Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and Paralimni to take pilgrims to the church in the occupied north of Cyprus.

“After 58 years, the Epitaph, decorated with flowers from our land, with the two mayors (of Famagusta) leading, will bring us closer to the reunification of our homeland”, the Municipality said.

It added that “we will have the opportunity to witness a historic event of great significance”, following the joint statement of the two mayors.

The town of Famagusta has been under Turkish occupation since the 1974 Turkish invasion. The fenced off area of the town, called Varosha, has remained uninhabited, abandoned to the elements. It remains to this day under the control of the Turkish military, in spite of repeated UN calls for its return to UN administration to enable the return of its lawful inhabitants. The walled city of Famagusta, close to the city port on the eastern coast, is inhabited by Turkish Cypriots and Turkish settlers.