Kyrenia

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Shortened history of the castle :

Kyrenia Castle is a spectacular site. The castle dates back to Byzantine times and has served several civilisations : the Byzantines, Crusaders, Venetians, Ottomans, and the British.

Richard the Lion Heart first referred to Kyrenia castle in 1191 when he conquered Cyprus on his way to the crusades.

The castle features huge round towers at its corners that the Venetians built in 1540 to strengthen the castle against artillery.

The view from the castle across Kyrenia harbour is amazing, just what the defending Venetians needed to check for the threatening Ottoman invasion. The irony is, when the Ottoman invasion finally came in 1571, the Venetians gave up without a fight.

Kyrenia Castle also houses the Shipwreck Museum, home to one of the most remarkable marine archaeological treasures in the world. In 300BC, a trading vessel, uploaded with millstones and amphorae (large jars) of wine from Kos and Rhodes set sail for Cyprus. The ship was caught in a storm, and was wrecked outside Kyrenia harbour. The remains of the ship sat on the sea bed covered in sand for 2300 years until 1965, when the remains of what was then the oldest recovered ship in the world began to be recovered. The 47ft long hull is preserved in a specially controlled environment in the Museum, along with wine jars, some utensils used by the crew, and 9000 almonds, which were part of the crew’s rations.