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The Castles of North Cyprus

15 August, 2015

There are four castles in North Cyprus, each has its own identity, and each offers a different aspect of history to the visitor.

There are four castles in North Cyprus, each has its own identity, and each offers a different aspect of history to the visitor.

Kyrenia Castle, situated as it is in the tourism centre of North Cyprus should be on everyone’s “must see” list. Standing guard over the harbour it is structurally much as it was after the Venetians fortified and strengthened the outer walls. It did not suffer any assault during the Ottoman conquest and remained in use virtually unchanged from 1572 under Ottoman rule, and from 1878 under British Governorship, being utilised as a prison and a military barracks.

The mountain castles of St. Hilarion, Buffavento and Kantara share an original commonality with Kyrenia Castle as they were all first constructed by the Byzantines as defensive forts and look out posts. It was not until the start of the 300 years of Lusignan rule that the small hilltop citadels became true castles with extensive alterations and additional building. All were protected by the construction of massive outer walls and equipped with large capacity water cisterns. Some of these cisterns were within the castle for all personnel living inside the castle, and outer cisterns for animals grazing the hillsides.

The castles were equipped with barrack rooms and storehouses, kitchens, armourer’s workshops, and stabling for the animals that would have been the means of transport and also providers of milk and meat. Royal apartments, specifically in St. Hilarion and Kantara would have been ideal for a summer retreat and during the extensive periods of peace these castles would have been furnished with all that was necessary for the royal family and their retinue with all such modern conveniences as were available during the Middle Ages.