Kyrenia Castle lies at the entrance to the town’s famous harbour and stands majestic guard over the port. Well worth a visit, the castle is in a remarkable state of preservation and is fully accessible to the public today.
As well as offering a fascinating glimpse into the history of Cyprus, and the stunning views on offer to visitors, Kyrenia Castle is home to Northern Cyprus’ shipwreck museum, the setting for one of the world’s most important and well-preserved pieces of marine history.
Kyrenia Castle has stood guard over the important and strategic North Cyprus port of Kyrenia since the 1500s. Although the town of Kyrenia itself has existed since the 10th century BC, the first evidence of the castle is from Roman times, and it was subsequently fortified by the Byzantines. The Byzantine construction of four towers linked by walls was later strengthened again and enlarged by the Lusignans, but the current appearance of Kyrena Castle mostly dates back to the Venetian rule of Cyprus from around 1489.
The Venetians were concerned about the possibility of the invasion of Cyprus by the rapidly expanding Ottoman Empire. With the Ottoman mainland only miles away, and their forces gaining strength every year, the Venetians set about fortifying Cyprus. The walls of Kyrenia Castle were enlarged, thickened and reinforced to defeat artillery attacks and to resist any siege. The Venetians replaced the original drawbridge at the castle’s entrance with the protected gatehouse that still exists today. They also kept the 12th-century Byzantine church of St George the Castle safely within the walls. As fate would have it, when the Ottoman invasion finally occurred in 1571, the Venetians seem to have given up without a fight.
