Famagusta

SALAMIS RUINS

Excavations have shown that the history of Salamis goes back to the 1 1[h century BC. Archaeologists tend to believe that the first inhabitants of the town came here from Enkomi after the earthquake of 1075 BC. Traces of a necropolis and a harbour of this early period have been located. When the 'Dark Ages' of the Mediterranean world came to an end in about the 8th century BC, Salamis appeared on the historical scene as an important trading centre. The necropolis which yielded the Royal Tombs belongs to this period and gives an idea about the richness of the city during the era. The first coins were minted in the 6th century BC. Also, in the inscriptions dating from this period the name of Salamis is encountered for the first time. In this century, together with Syria and Anatolia, the island went under the rule of the Achamenid Persian Empire which lasted until the march of Alexander the Great into Asia Minor. Following the unexpected death of Alexander the Great near Babylon in 323 BC, his generals divided the lands of the Hellenistic Empire and Cyprus fell to the share of Ptolemy who established his kingdom in Egypt. During the Hellenistic and the Roman era Salamis, together with Alexandria, Antioch-on-the-Orontes, Ephesus, Pergamum and Athens, received its share of the wealth of the period and once again became an important trading centre between the worlds surrounding the Meditterranean. This prosperous period continued into the Roman era. Most of the ruins unearthed in excavations date from this recent history of the city. The development of Salamis was often interrupted by earthquakes, especially in the 1st and 4th centuries AD. Following the earthquakes, the Byzantine emperor Constantius II (337-361 AD)rebuilt the city and renamed it Constantia. However, by this time the harbour was already silted up and more natural catastrophes and the raids of the Arab pirates brought its end. In 648 after another raid the last inhabitants moved to Arsinoe which was later to become Famagusta.

OTHELLO'S TOWER

This citadel was built in the 12nd century during the Lusignan period, to protect the harbour. The Sea Gate on, in this side, along with the Land Gate were the two major entrances of walled Famagusta. The citadel was originally surrounded with a moat. In 1492 Venetians transformed it into an artillery stronghold making alterations similar to those at Kyrenia castle. The marble panel above the entrance shows the winged lion of Venice, and includes the name of Nicolo Foscarini who re-modeled the tower.

It is thought that when Leonardo da Vinci visited Cyprus in 1481 he advised the Venetians on the design of the defences of Famagusta. The tower of citadel consists of towers and corridors leading to artillery chambers. On one side its large courtyard is the refectory and above it apartment, both dating back to the Lusignan period. The present day name of the tower came into use during the British colonial period. In his famous tragedy, where the setting is a" seaport in Cyprus" Shakespeare makes Othello a Moor.

In the courtyard of the citadel there are some Ottoman and Spanish cannons and their iron balls. The stone balls were for catapults. The surviving walls and bastions of Famagusta are from the Venetian period. On the land side the city was protected by the squat Martinengo Bastion. This was named after the Venetian commander Count Heracles Martinengo. In the Ravelin, which protected the Land Gate, in addition to artillery chambers a chapel is encountered. The large round tower, which was originally a Venetian arsenal on the sea side is named after Dyamboulat, the Turkish commander by whose bravery the Bastion was captured.