Kyrenia Castle

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It's thought that the castle was built by the Byzantines in the seventh century, to protect the town against Arab raids. The Lusignans then made their own additions to the fortress, which played an important defensive role during their reign. Their successors, the Venetians, added their own improvements, but lost the castle to the Ottomans in 1570 without any real resistance. So many changes of hands have made for a rich architectural legacy: look out for the Byzantine church of St George; the tomb of an Ottoman admiral, Sadik Pasha, who was killed during the 1570 conquest of Cyprus; the Venetian Towers; the guards' room; the great hall and the various dungeons. The entrance is via a bridge, built over a wide moat that was filled with water until the 14th century. The Shipwreck Museum inside exhibits the remains of a fourth century BC cargo ship, raised from the bottom of the sea.