Larnaca Castle
It guarded Larnaca harbor; under the British it held a prison and executions
The story
This small fortress at the southern end of the Finikoudes seafront guarded Larnaca harbor. Old chronicles date the first fortification to the time of King James the First of the Lusignan dynasty, in the late 14th century, but no one knows what it looked like. The Ottomans rebuilt the ruined fortress, in 1625 according to the inscription over the entrance. The two-story northern wing survives from their time. Under the British there was a police station and a prison here, and condemned prisoners were executed in a ground-floor hall; the gallows was used until 1948. Today there is a small museum on the upper floor, and old cannons stand in the courtyard.
Larnaca Castle stands at the southern end of the Finikoudes seafront. According to the inscription, the Ottomans rebuilt it in 1625, and under the British it was a prison where condemned prisoners were executed until 1948. Its museum, called the “Larnaca Medieval Museum” in study guides, should not be confused with the Cyprus Medieval Museum in Limassol Castle.
Visiting
According to the Department of Antiquities: weekdays from 8:00, weekends from 9:30; it closes at 17:00 in winter and 19:30 in summer, 16 April to 15 September. Ticket €2.50. It is not wheelchair accessible inside.
Photos
Sources
- Τμήμα Αρχαιοτήτων Κύπρου: Κάστρο Λάρνακας
- Department of Antiquities of Cyprus: Larnaka Castle
- Department of Antiquities of Cyprus: Museums (Larnaka Castle; Cyprus Medieval Museum, Lemesos Castle)
- Hallouminati exam guide: Museums of Cyprus (pairs the Larnaca and Limassol medieval museums)
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