Kyrenia Castle (Cyprus)
Northern Cyprus See list of castles in Cipro
The castle, which is located in the north - east of Kyrenia dominates the harbor and is built on the tetragonal form.
It 'the first-named by ancient sources in the year 1191 when the English King Richard the Lion Heart defeated Isaac Comnenus on his way to the Crusades and conquered Cyprus.
Explorations conducted in and around the castle take us up to the Hellenistic and Roman period (111-11 BC), but so far it has not been possible to establish the exact date of construction of the castle. As a result of tests carried out on the site, it is considered likely that the original castle was built in the seventh. DC by the Byzantines for the purpose of defense against the Arab invasions Kyrenia. The castle had additions made to it during the reign of the Lusignan and was given its present from the Venetian has come down to us a state well-preserved.
The construction of the Kyrenia Castle which according to historians and travelers ancients was very important for the defense of 'island, can be examined in three phases based on historical sources and existing remains.
The Castle of the Byzantine period (VII - XII AD)
The Castle of Lusignan Period (1208 - 1211 AD)
The Castle of the Venetian period (1489 - 1570 AD)
And 'well it is known that a large portion of the present castle was built by King John d'Ibelin between 1208-1211 AD and that existing fortifications of the Roman period were also made by us. Kyrenia Castle The castle was used by the Lusignan kings as a place to rest in peace time and a place of refuge in times of war. it is possible that the first change to the castle was made during this period. The castle received great damage as a result of Venetian attacks in 1373 AD was captured by the Venetians in 1491 AD and was modified by them in accordance with their plans of defense toward the beginning of the sixteenth. A.D.
The castle was sold to the Ottomans in 1570 AD, without resistance and remained in Ottoman hands for about three centuries. During the British colonial administration it was used as a prison and police academy. Although it has been open to visitors during 1963-1967, a large part of it was used by sailors belonging to the Greek National Guard as military headquarters. It is currently under the control of the Directorate of the Department of Antiquities and Museums.