GIRNE
(KYRENIA)
History, part 2
- Kyrenia Harbour
Sources:
see Bibliography (Cyprus).
Text was also written during my
own visit in March/April 2003.
Supplementary text taken from
G. Jeffery and William Dreghorn.
Text was also written during my
own visit in March/April 2003.
Supplementary text taken from
G. Jeffery and William Dreghorn.
back to castles Cyprus overview | previous
| part 3 
The little port
of Kyrenia of the present day is evidently of a very different principle
in construction from the original medieval harbour.
Although much enlarged since the British Occupation, at a considerable expense, it is only of practical use for yachting (there's now a nice, large marina eastwards).
The semi-circular harbour as we see it now, would appear to have been the outer port of the middle ages, the inner enclosed harbour now artificially filled up with earth appears to have occupied the site of the immense west wall of the Castle built by the Venetians in 1544.
In the middle ages this enclosed port for the gallies was merely the wider moat dividing the Castle from the little town, and the bridge across it with large arches may perhaps still be traced on the east side of the present harbour quay. In the middle of the modern harbour stood the ruins of the ancient pier or jetty protecting the outer harbour from the north-east storms.
The town was enclosed on its western and southern sides by a wall
of which the massive south-west angle tower ("the Round Tower") still stands (picture left).
In
the middle of the western wall appears to have been a gateway flanked
by two semi-circular towers, one of which survives (picture left).
On the southern wall there may have been one or more towers, but this side of medieval Kyrenia has entirely disappeared.
Although much enlarged since the British Occupation, at a considerable expense, it is only of practical use for yachting (there's now a nice, large marina eastwards).
The semi-circular harbour as we see it now, would appear to have been the outer port of the middle ages, the inner enclosed harbour now artificially filled up with earth appears to have occupied the site of the immense west wall of the Castle built by the Venetians in 1544.
In the middle ages this enclosed port for the gallies was merely the wider moat dividing the Castle from the little town, and the bridge across it with large arches may perhaps still be traced on the east side of the present harbour quay. In the middle of the modern harbour stood the ruins of the ancient pier or jetty protecting the outer harbour from the north-east storms.
The town was enclosed on its western and southern sides by a wall
of which the massive south-west angle tower ("the Round Tower") still stands (picture left).
In
the middle of the western wall appears to have been a gateway flanked
by two semi-circular towers, one of which survives (picture left).On the southern wall there may have been one or more towers, but this side of medieval Kyrenia has entirely disappeared.
