Paphos Castle
Building in Paphos, Cyprus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Paphos Castle is located at the western end of the city port. It was originally a Byzantine fortress built to protect the port.
| Paphos Harbour Castle | |
|---|---|
| |
  Location within Cyprus | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Medieval |
| Location | Paphos,  Cyprus |
| Coordinates | 34.75367°N 32.406911°E |
The main fortress of the city was located in Saranta Kolones, about 600 metres (2,000 ft) west, and was destroyed by the earthquake of 1222.
History
The original Byzantine fortress was destroyed in the earthquake of 1222. It was rebuilt and expanded by the Lusignans in the 13th century. They also built the so-called Genoese Towers. It is a castle consisting of a complex of two towers, the ruins of which are 80 metres (260 ft) east of the castle, right at the entrance of the port and served as its best defense. Although these towers were considered subservient to the larger castle they had no contact with each other and were probably a separate castle. They got their name because of their importance in the battle against the Genoese in 1373, where they played an important role in the defense of the city port, as the Genoese were mainly a naval force. They were also important in the battle against the Mamluk Sultanate in 1426, where they suffered severe damage and have not been rebuilt since. The towers were destroyed after a strong earthquake in 1491, but their ruins are still visible. The castle was maintained by the Venetians who made some additions.
The castle resisted the Genoese invasion in 1373 and was one of the few not covered by the Mamluks in 1426, under the guidance of its guardsman, Sforza, who was a fierce Spanish mercenary. In August 1570, when the Ottomans landed, his guard failed to leave it, as was the case in other cases. After 16 days of fierce fighting, his guard resisted inside the castle which was destroyed. The Ottomans repaired the ruins of the castle, based on the original building, as due to its strong construction it was not completely destroyed. During Ottoman-rule the castle had a guard of 100 men and 12 cannons which left with the arrival of the British in 1878.
Architecture
The main part of the castle consists of a large rectangular tower (40 m × 20 m (131 ft × 66 ft)) with a closed courtyard in the middle. The ground floor consists of a central hall with small rooms and large rooms on each of its two sides, which were used as prisons and barracks during Ottoman-rule. On the roof there is a small square Tower (15 m × 10 m (49 ft × 33 ft)) with three large rooms, where the guard of the castle lived. At the same level around the perimeter there are 12 ramparts on the roof, which could hold a corresponding number of cannons during Ottoman-rule.
In 1878, with the arrival of the British, the castle ceased to be used for military purposes and became a salt depot until 1935, when it was declared an ancient monument under the Antiquities Act. Since then it has been a characteristic landmark of Paphos. In 1938–1339 various cracks in the walls and breakwater were repaired. The castle was devastated by the earthquake of 1953 and repairs were completed in 1969. It was also hit by the Turkish air and naval forces on July 21, 1974, during the bombing of the port of Paphos,[1] but suffered no serious damage. Most recently, the castle serves as the setting for the annual Paphos Outdoor Cultural Festival in September. Several archeological excavations have been carried out.
Tourism
Currently, the castle is used as a tourist attraction and occasionally has thematic exhibitions.[2]
