Castles of Cyprus

St Hilarion Castle
The St Hilarion Castle like the Buffavento and Kantara castles were built to help defend from the Arab raids. First records of the castle can be found dating back to 1191 but the castle is known to date back till the 10th century at least. For a long period of time the castle held a strategic importance but it later became a summer resort for Luignan nobility. Like the Buffavento and Kantara castles they became less important with the intervention of firearms and the defence of the coastline being more important.

The castle itself has three parts. The Byzantine's fortified the parapets for the defence of main entrance in the 11th century. The lower section of the castle was used for soldiers and the storing of their horses. The middle section of the castle contained the royal palace, kitchen, and the church

There is a courtyard in the middle of the castle. The eastern section of the castle is where the nobility lived.

Buffavento Castle
This is one of three castles along the Kyrenia Range the other two being St Hilarion and Kantara. The Buffavento castle is on hilltop that is 950 meters above sea level. In the Lusigan period 1192-1489 the castle was known as the Lions Castle it also doubled as a prison during these times.
The castle consists of two sections simply the lower castle and the higher castle section. The lower section has an arched entrance with rooms opposite for provisions. You can still see some of the brick workmanship dating back to the Byzantine period. The name Buffavento comes from the meaning ‘Insubordinate to the winds'. There are some great views from the castle ruins looking over the Trodos Mountains and stunning scenery.

Kantara Castle
This is the easternmost castle on the Kyrenia Mountains and stands about 700 metres above sea level and is ideally positioned to control the Karpaz peninsula. Although it was believed to have been built by the Byzantine. The records only first mention this castle in 1191 when Richard the Lion Heart captured the island.

The former Palestine king, Guy de Lusignan, defeats the impostor King Isaac Comnen submits to Richard lion Heart who took refuge in the castle. He then gets caught while trying to escape the Karpaz region. The castle was the sight of many battles in the next centuries and it was King James who re-enforced the castle walls back in 1391.

After the Venetian's took control of the island the castle lost its importance as the venetian's decide that the coast and its harbours were of more strategic value. The castle has sections left today including dormitories, vaulted rooms and a signal tower.

Othello Castle
This castle was built in the 14th century by the Lusignans to protect the entrance to Famagusta.

Surrounded by a deep ditch for added protection the castle comprises of towers, artillery batteries, refectory, and a dormitory. If you look up on your entrance into the castle you will see St. Mark the Lion under which the name of Nicolo Foscari is inscribed. He was the man responsible for restoring the castle tower in 1492. There are cannons, with Iron and stone balls used by the Spaniards as well as the Ottomans for you to see and touch. Part of Shakespeare's famous tragedy Othello takes place in a harbour town in Cyprus.

Cyprus' Monastery's

Bellapais Monastery
The Bellapais Monastery is located on the flanks of the Kyrenia Mountains. The first settlers of the Monastery were the priests of Augustinian who had come over from Jerusalem. The building started on the monastery between 1198-1205 the construction that is most seen today though took place between 1267 –1284 by the French King Hugh 111.

The pavilions around the courtyard and the refectory were constructed during the reign of King Hugh IV (1324-1359) After the Ottomans conquered Cyprus the monastery was given to the Greek Orthodox Church. Probably the best-preserved part of the monastery is the church next to the courtyard were you can see Italian frescoes dating back to the 15th century. The priest used the two marble tombs in the courtyard as washbasins for a period of time.

Behind the tomb doors are insignia of Jerusalem, Lusignan, and the kingdoms of Cyprus are fixed. The refectory is considered by many to have such a collection of unequalled Gothic Art in the Mediterranean. The rooms you see at the east of the courtyard belonged to the priests. The column standing in the middle of the council chamber belongs it is believed to the Byzantine church.

The St Barnabas Monastery
Saint Barnabas returned from Jerusalem were he had been studying in 45 AD. On his return to Cyprus he worked with St Paul as a missionary for Christianity. Because of his activities he was killed and his body hidden in a marsh and was then later to be thrown into the sea. But the followers of St Barnabas they stole his body back from the marshes and hid it in a cave west of Salamis.

His body was buried with a copy of the bible that had been made by St Matthew. Here is body laid for many years in complete secrecy 432 years later Bishop Anthemios says that he has been told of the cave location in a dream. He instructs that the area be dug up were upon he finds the remains of a skeleton with a bible on its chest. After this find Bishop Anthemios traveled to Istanbul to meet the Emperor Zeno and gained autonomy for the Cyprus church.

The emperor also makes a donation for a monastery to build upon the location of the grave. The monastery was constructed in 477 AD and consists of a church, a courtyard, and living quarters for the priests. The church has a rich collection of icons mostly dating from the 18th century. The rooms in which the priests lived have now been restored and turned into a archaeological museum. You can see a wide range of historical pieces from the Neolithic period to the Roman's.

The St Mamas Monastery
St Mamas was a Christian saint who lived in the time of the 12th century. This monastery is not the only sight on Cyprus dedicated to him. In fact he has fourteen churches also dedicated to him.

The monastery dates back to the 18th century the columns you see on the entrance were built by the Lusignans. The marble bottom part of its iconostasis is covered with Venetian shields. And the painted wooden top part of the monastery is an example of 16th century artwork.

The Apostlos Andreas Monastery
This monastery located at the point of cape St Andrea is dedicated to Saint Andrew. From the holy books we know that St Andrew was the first to be called for induction into priesthood. His title was O' Protoklitos meaning the one first called. Under the modern church you will find a room that has wells for drinking that are thought to be long to the old monastery.

Both the Turks and the Greeks have found this monastery a very holy place for prayers and worship. The monastery today is worthy of a visit and many tourists find time to make this trip.

Museums in Cyprus

The Mevlevi Tekke Museum
The building that the museum is based in is to the south of the Kyrenia Gate dates back to the 16th century. It was Arap Ahmet Pasha who ordered its construction after the conquest of the islands by the ottomans. Inside the buildings there are tombs and a semahane (a dervish meeting house for dance and religion) Arap Ahmet Pasha belonged to the Mevlevi order.

Mevlana Jalaladdin Rumi who was known as the whirling dervishes founder. Ataturk finally banned these lodges in 1920 but it continued to appoint a head of the order that died in 1954. The tombs in the museum are the resting-places of sixteen Mevlevi sheikhs.

Shipwreck Museum
The ship on display in the museum is the oldest ship recovered to date. It came from Hellenistic period after the death of Alexander the Great. A sponge diver at a depth of just three meters first discovered the boat. It was finally brought to the surface by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania.

The researchers found almond remains that when tested dated the ship back till 288 BC further tests to the timber showed that it dated back till 389 BC. This indicated to the researchers that the boat was eighty years old when it sank. The body of the ship also revealed that it was made from Jerusalem pine. It is possible from the remains also to determine that the ship did business on the Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea before sailing towards Cyprus.

No human skeletons were found on or around the ship when discovered.

Royal Tombs
The royal tombs acquired this name because of their structural styles and rich findings within. The tombs are found on a site covering 4 square miles and stretches from Enkomi to the West end of the Salamis forest and onto the St Barnabas Monastery.

The main architectural feature is the long wide, slopping ground in front of the burial chamber. In this area here it is known that the horses carrying the deceased were offered as a sacrifice for the dead. Studies of the site show that the tombs date back till the 8th century B.C. and were still in use unto the 4th century A.D The tombs are all numbered and the ones contains the richest findings are 47,50 and 79 in particular.

Studies also show that tomb 50 was also used as a small church dedicated to St Catherine. It is believed that St Catherine had been kept in the tomb after converting to Christianity by his uncle. During later excavations earthenware pots and pans as well as items of bronze have all been discovered along with the skeletons of the sacrificed horses.