 | Kyrenia Things To Do | Tips 1 - 10 of 32 |  |
Popular Things To Do | Other Things To Do Tips | All Tips (32) The ship exhibited in the shipwreck museum is claimed to be the oldest ship recovered so far. It belongs to the period of the Hellenistic kingdoms founded after the death of Alexander. It was first noticed by a sponge diver at a depth of 3 metres and was brought out by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania. Tests applied to almond remains on the ship point to the year 288 B.C.; tests applied to its timber show it is from 389 B.C.. This indicates that the ship was about eighty years old when it sank. Amazing!! Leave a Comment Address: In Girne (Kyrenia) Castle
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Girne castle is the house of many archeological exhibitions, including a shipwreck museum. It is thought to have been constructed to protect the town against the Arab raids in the 7th century. In the castle, you can observe remnants of the different periods that have once ruled Cyprus. The byzantine Church, Lusignan hall, dungeons and rooms, Venetian towers and cistern, Ottoman tomb, etc... Leave a Comment Directions: By the marina (old harbour). The entrance to the castle is via a bridge built over the road that used to be a wide ditch.
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Kyrenia Castle these days is considered Venetian, although it originally started off a Byzantine and then Lusignan, with each civilization adapting what had gone before. The walls are very thick, but this isn't due to the builders being master masons, more down to the Venetians filling in the gaps between the Byzantine walls and the Lusignans extended walls with rubble!
The castle has served as a hiding place, a defence and a prison. It has never been taken forcibly, with the incumbents either starving or surrendering. The Ottomans were the last people to conquer the castle, and this was by scaring the people inside into surrendering by sending in the severed heads of the Venetian soldiers in Nicosia who did not surrender.
Inside there is a small Byzantine chapel and a ship-wreck museum (see separate tip for this). The entrance to the castle is by a bridge which has been built in more recent times and goes over what would have been the origibal moat. Leave a Comment
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The Harbour in Kyrenia is the top must see tip for Kyrenia. The best place to view it is to climb the castle and look down from the top of the battlements there. It's a view you can stare at for a long time.
Kyrenia was originally founded in the 10th Centrury BC! Cyprus is an old old place and has many ruins dating well back to several thousand years old. The Castle was built by the Byzantines (who built a lot all over the island) to try and stop Arab Raiders in the 7th Century AD. Leave a Comment Address: Kyrenia waterfront!
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The Shipwreck contained in the Shipwreck Museum of Kyrenia castle is dated around 300 years BC. It was discovered by a local diver in 1967, and is one of the oldest shipwrecks in existence.
Carbon dating indicates that the ship had been used for about 80 years before it sank and had been repaired several times before she went down. The boat appears to have just left some of the Greek Islands and was carrying grain grinders made of stone and 400 amphorae (containing alcohol I believe). The shipwreck itself is stored in a very dim room (which means long exposures and bracing yourself against the barrier to avoid camera blur) which is cool with low humidity. The pine timbers that are left have been preserved using chemicals. Leave a Comment
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The former Arkhangelos Church is being used as an icon museum to exhibit the icons collected from Kyrenia and the vicinity. The church was built in 1860. The bell tower, which was added some years later can be viewed from all around the city. Leave a Comment Address: KyreniaDirections: Before you get to the marina (Old Harbour)
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The Shipwreck in Kyrenia Castle (see other tip) was carrying amphorae, stones for grinding grain and food. Some of these items are displayed in the remainder of the museum. There are several of the well preserved amphorae that have been placed in a mock-up of a cross-section of the boat that sunk. It makes quite a nice display.
The darkened doorway seen behind this cross-section of boat, is the entrance into the room containing the shipwreck, which is kept very dim to help in the preservation of the boat. Leave a Comment
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St . Hilarion Castle is situated on a spectacular crag 2,400 feet above the plain. Its ancient stones contain the history of the political and religious conflicts which have raged in this region for centuries.
Originally a monastery, later the stronghold of Crusaders, Lusignans, the Holy Roman Empire, Genoese and Venetians.
Battles have been fought, won and lost here; cruel punishments administered -a microcosm of the history of piety and power, pity and cruelty.
The earliest, greatly restored, Byzantine foundations date from the 10th Century but the main structures still standing date from the 13th Century.
When we visited it was an exceptionally hot day (April) so make sue you have suitable clothing and sun protection. Strong shoes are essential for the rough steep terrain. There were no guided tours on offer so it helps to have a good guide book with you, and bottles of water. The only refreshments on offer when we were there were bottles of home made orange juice on sale in the ticket office - which we bought on the way out and later thought were responsible for dickey tummies! Leave a Comment Directions: About 6 miles south of Girne on Lefkosa road. When we were there the approach road was controlled - it was in a military area close to the YamanKislasi Camp -no stopping or photography! Things may be more relaxed now but look out for signs.
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The village of Bellapais is about 4 miles up the hillside SE of Kyrenia.
The house where Lawrence Durrell lived when he wrote "Bitter Lemons " in the 1950's is up the hill away from the square. Durrell entertained other writers there including Patrick Leigh Fermor, Rose Macaulay and Freya Stark.
At the time of our visit, Durrell's former home was a holiday house and there were depressing indications that it would not be too long before the whole hillside would be carved out to make way for little holiday villas and hotels.
It is in the village square that the Tree of Idleness is to be found - our leisurely, unhurried service for coffee certainly seemed to induce a sense of idleness!
The Gothic Abbey is situated just below the village and was founded in 1206. Although much of the structure has gone the outline that remains conveys a sense of the beauty that once was here.
We returned one evening to hear a concert given by the Girl's Choir of Exeter Cathedral in the Refectory - 90ft long hall with a vaulted ceiling. The pock-marked walls of the magnificent hall puzzled us and we were horrified to learn that this was not the result of some long forgotten conflict but by the British use of the walls for rifle practice!
The audience included many ex-pats but also a surprising number of local people.
After the performance we went to the adjacent Kybele Restaurant for supper.
Another very special evening to remember. Leave a Comment
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Another ancient city and scene of centuries of conflict. Once one of the wealthiest cities of the mediaeval world it was described by H.V. Morton, the English travel writer and journalist, as " one of the most remarkable ruins in the world."
It was here in a small shabby office the elderly man who was the full time volunteer Information Officer told us, with tears in his eyes, his story.
He had worked as an archaeologist with special responsibility for the preservation of ancient sites in the care of the, then, Ministry of Works and Ancient Monuments, under the British administration. After that period ended the budget was drastically reduced and he worked in the archives department. Now retired he devotes his time to keepng the office open and tidy, and receiving the few visitors who come. He was a wealth of information and gave us the history of the 14th Century Cathedral of St Nicholas consecrated in 1326 and now the Mosque, which he encouraged us to enter. We were shown old prints of 16thC. Famagusta. He pointed out the great fig tree outside the building, believed to be of the same age. He found a couple of dusty leaflets about the excavtions at Soli other advice about what else we must see. Finally he thanked us for our visit, hoped we - and more British visitors - would come again to his beloved island.
It was a poignant moment as he stood at the door waving goodbye as we left. Leave a Comment
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on November 1, 2004
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