| Fortifications of Famagusta | |
|---|---|
| Famagusta,Cyprus[a] | |
 San Luca Bastion | |
| Site information | |
| Type | City wall |
| Condition | Intact |
| Location | |
 | |
| Map of Famagusta's fortifications | |
| Coordinates | 35°7′41.2″N33°56′6.8″E / 35.128111°N 33.935222°E /35.128111; 33.935222 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 15th–16th centuries |
| Built by | Kingdom of Cyprus |
| Battles/wars | Siege of Famagusta |
Thefortifications of Famagusta are a series ofdefensive walls and otherfortifications which surround the city ofFamagusta inNorthern Cyprus. The walls were built by theLusignanKingdom of Cyprus in the 14th century, and redesigned by Republic of Venice in 15th and 16th centuries before the siege of Ottoman Empire in 1571. The fortifications of Famagusta withstood an11-month siege before the city capitulated to theOttoman Empire in August 1571.
_-_TIMEA.jpg)
_(14586962519).jpg)
In the 13th century, Famagusta's harbour was defended by a tower, and it is possible that some form of fortification existed earlier.[1] In the 14th century, theLusignans built theOthello Castle to defend both the harbour and the town.[2] Famagusta fell to the Genoese in 1373, and in 1489 it was taken over by theRepublic of Venice along with the rest of Cyprus.[3][better source needed]
While Famagusta was under Venetian rule, the city was essentially a military base.[4] The Othello Castle was modernized, and fortifications surrounding the entire city began to be built.[3][better source needed] The fortifications were designed by a number of military engineers, includingMichele Sanmicheli and his nephew Giovanni Girolamo Sammichele. The latter arrived in Famagusta in around 1550, and he designed the Martinengo Bastion, which served as a prototype for various other fortifications in Europe and America.[5] He died in Famagusta in 1559, while the fortifications were still under construction.[6]
TheFourth Ottoman–Venetian War broke out in 1570, when an Ottoman force invaded Cyprus and took control of most of the island includingNicosia within a few months. On 15 September, Ottomans surrounded Famagusta, which was the last Venetian stronghold on the island, and began theSiege of Famagusta. The city held out until August 1571, when the Venetians asked for terms of surrender. Although terms were agreed and the inhabitants began to evacuate the city, at the surrender ceremonyLala Mustafa Pasha learned that some Muslim prisoners had been killed and he had the Venetian commanderMarco Antonio Bragadin mutilated and flayed alive, and the remaining Christians in the city were massacred.[7]
The Ottomans repaired the damaged parts of the walls,[8] but did not make any major alterations. The city began to expand outside its walls in the late Ottoman period, and this increased after Cyprus fell under British rule.[4]
Although many buildings within the old city of Famagusta is in a state of disrepair,[9][10] the fortifications are still in relatively good condition.[11]
The fortifications of Famagusta consist of an enceinte which is surrounded by a rock-hewnditch on the landward side, and the harbour on the seaward side. Like thefortifications of Rhodes, which were built by theKnights Hospitaller between the 14th and 16th centuries, the walls of Famagusta show the transition betweenmedieval fortification and thebastioned fortifications of the early modern period.[5]
Notes