All about Buffavento, Cyprus (links 1) - CLOSE WINDOW

Page name:

Castles and
Fortifications
in Northern
Cyprus

Cyprus is justifiably famous for its castles, which generally date from the late Byzantine period (10th to 11th centuries A.D.) to the Lusignan (Crusader) period in the 12th through the 15th centuries.

After control of the island passed to the Genoese, and later to the Venetians, several castles were abandoned in favor of more modern fortifications, while others were remodeled to make them more proof against artillery bombardment. The sites shown in red, (map left), are illustrated and discussed. (...)

Construction History

In response to the Arab raids, a watch tower was built, and over the course of several centuries three different building complexes were erected. Each contained cisterns and storage rooms. The earliest, and lowest, was built by the Byzantines in the 11th century and accomodated a garrison and stables.

The middle complex contained the church and royal appartments. The upper castle sits astride the top of the Kyrenia Range, and... (more)

Buffavento Ruins: . . . after the hike up to the castle ruins. Photos from a year living in the Turkish North of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, 1995-1996. Copyright 1996 John Higgins. (...)

See the full photo gallery

Detailed map

Site name:

A guide to the
antiquities of
Kyrenia

by William Dreghorn , B.Sc., Ph. D. (Lond.)

Buffavento Castle: A castle as a defensive site on a hilltop is there because from the law of gravity, it is easier to throw a missile down than upwards. As a result, castles are very conspicuous; there was no aerial bombardment so camouflage was unnecessary. From the seaward side Buffavento castle is scarcely visible, because (...)


 Read the full article

Detailed map

Site name:

Örnek
Holidays

Buffavento Castle: Buffavento castle was built, along with St. Hilarion and Kantara, as a part of the defensive chain against the Arab raids. It is the highest of the three castles, its summit being some 950m. above sea level. Like the other two it guarded an important pass through the mountains and it had signal connections with the other two strongholds. When Richard the Lion Heart conquered Cyprus in 1191, the Byzantine despot king of the island Isaac Comnenus is said to have fled there. (...)
Like the other castles of the island Buffavento Castle is associated with a mysterious queen, who once ruled Cyprus, a story probably connected with the goddess Aphrodite. One of the popular stories about the castle is that during the reign of the Knight Templars, a Byzantine princess noticed that the skin of her dog had begun to heal.
Following him she saw that the animal bathed in a spring far below the castle. Doing the same, she was cured. In gratitude, at the spot near the water source she founded the Monastery of Ayios Ioannis Chrysostomos. During the Lusignans rule it was as a prison and called 'Chateau do Lion'. In its later history, the Venetians having relied on the coastal fortresses such as Kyrenia or Famagusta for the defense of the island, Buffavento fell into oblivion.
The name of the castle means 'Deifier of Winds'. However, some people think that 'buffeted' or 'blown' by the wind is a more appropriate explanation for its name. Its lower section begins with an arched gateway.
The group of rooms beyond this entrance must have served as barracks and store rooms. Under the rooms a cistern is located. The door and the arches of some rooms in the upper castle show Byzantine style red brickwork. In the upper castle the remains of a chapel can be distinguished. This part offers a staggering view of Nicosia and the Troodos chain in the south. | Read the full article | Detailed map |