Famagusta

Famagusta - Hidden in the Sand

The town of Famagusta (Magusa in Turkish) is one of the finest examples of mediaeval architecture in the eastern Mediterranean and, in its present state of preservation, is equal to that of the old cities of Carcassone and Ragusa (Dubrovnik). One full day spent in Famagusta will reveal the history of Cyprus in a nutshell.

Famagusta is the house to Great Famagusta Wall. Ravelin is one of the two entries into the wall of Famagusta. When the Venetians surrendered to the Ottomans in 1571, the white flag was hoisted here. For this reason, Ravelin was called Akkule by the Ottomans. On the city side of the gate is a passage, on the walls of which are frescoes and coats of arms. In the passage there is also a small chapel for worship on the way in to and out of the city. Below Ravelin there are underground dungeons. On the side of the passage there is a "mescit"built for Ottoman guards in 1619.

Famagusta plays an important port and a Turkish administrative center, the city was completely evacuated in 1974 when Turkey invaded the island. Before 1974 the majority of the population had been Greek Cypriots. Farming is the main occupation, and there are other light industries. Famagusta occupies the site of ancient Arsinoë, built (3d cent. BC) by Ptolemy II. After the fall (1291) of Acre to the Saracens, Christian refugees greatly increased the city's wealth. The seat (15th-16th cent.) of the Venetian governors of Cyprus, it was strongly fortified by the Venetians; the governor's palace, the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, and many churches testify to its medieval splendor. As a British naval base the city was heavily bombed in World War II, and from 1946 to 1948 a British internment camp for illegal Jewish immigrants to Palestine was maintained near the city. Famagusta is thought to be the scene of Acts II through V of Shakespeare's Othello.

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