HISTORY ETHNOGRAPHY NATURE WINE-MAKING SITE MAP
Selected and rare materials, excerpts and observations from ancient, medieval and contemporary authors, travelers and researchers about Cyprus.
 
 
 
 
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KANTARA CASTLE

Photo by Sergey Afontsev (Moscow)

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Kantara castle
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In the north side of the west part of the castle there are two vaulted chambers which were used as cisterns. To the north of this area one can see the remains of the castle’s Byzantine northern wall along with cisterns and other buildings that are in a ruinous condition.
Following the steep path on left are the remarks of the Byzantine Northern wall with cisterns and other ruined chambers. The chamber at the top of the hill (about 700 meters) preserves its beautiful window in its south wall. The view from this part of the castle is stunning since one can see the island’s northern coastline, the Karpas peninsula, the east part of the Mesaoria plain and the gulf of Ammochostos. The Mediaeval Guard of the Castle used this tower not in order to enjoy the view but in order to exchange messages with the guard on Buffavento Castle.

The northeast tower commands the entrance and controlled the movement at sea in the north. The tower’s ground floor consists of a passage with loopholes at the north, which leads to a square chamber covered with a cross vault. In the eastern wall of this chamber an entrance leads to the horseshoe-shaped vaulted tower with loopholes on all of its three sides. The tower’s upper floor consists of a long narrow passage which ended in the rectangular chamber.

 

Photo by Sergey Afontsev (Moscow)

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