- Type
- Castle
- Built
- 1625 · 17th century
- Location
- Larnaca, Cyprus
- Coordinates
- 34.9105°, 33.6377°
History
Defences guarding Larnaca's harbour probably existed in Byzantine times, and in the 14th century they were strengthened by the Lusignans, rulers of the Kingdom of Cyprus. After the Ottoman conquest of the island in 1571 the fort fell into decay, and in 1625 the Ottomans rebuilt it almost from scratch – an inscription above the entrance records the date. The fortress guarded the coast against pirates and kept a garrison into the 19th century. After the British took over Cyprus in 1878 it served as a police post and prison. Today it houses the Larnaca District Medieval Museum.
What to see
The castle has a simple four-sided plan around a courtyard that hosts concerts and performances in summer. Upstairs is a small museum of pottery, weapons and finds from early Christian and medieval Larnaca. The walls look out over the sea and the palm-lined Finikoudes promenade, with a former mosque just next door.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q580797
Popularity: articles about this site in 22 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).