Kyrenia Castle and Shipwreck Museum: History and Visit

Checked: 25 October 2026.

Kyrenia Castle: in brief

Kyrenia Castle stands at the entrance to the old harbour of Kyrenia on the northern coast of Cyprus; the town has been under Turkish occupation since 1974. The fortress already existed in Byzantine times, but it acquired its present appearance under the Lusignans and, in particular, under the Venetians, who adapted it for warfare involving cannons.

Inside the castle lie the remains of the Kyrenia ship — a 4th-century BC merchant vessel discovered near Kyrenia in 1965. According to the Department of Antiquities of the Republic of Cyprus, this is probably the best-preserved of the known ships from the late Classical period in the Greek world.

Below is the history of the castle, from the Arab raids to the British period, an account of the discovery of the shipwreck, and information that visitors should be aware of today. We have a separate guide dedicated to the town of Kyrenia itself.

The Byzantine fortress and the Lusignans

According to the Department of Antiquities, the castle, together with the walls of Kyrenia, already existed at the time of the first Arab raids in the mid-7th century AD. Byzantine elements have been preserved in the masonry of the courtyard and in the walls, which the Lusignans later incorporated into their extensions.

In 1191, when Richard the Lionheart invaded Cyprus, the island’s ruler, Isaac Komnenos, sent his family and treasures to this castle. Inside the fortress, a 12th-century Byzantine chapel has survived, featuring a dome supported by four marble columns taken from an earlier building; it was probably used by the Orthodox community during the Lusignan period.

In the 13th century, the castle was rebuilt and extended: it took on a rectangular layout with square towers at the corners, two of which have survived. The entrance was moved to the western wall, whilst the gatehouse with its portcullis dates from the 14th century. The Genoese, having captured Famagusta, attempted to take Kyrenia Castle as well, but were ultimately unable to do so.

The Venetian fortress and 1570

Under the Venetians, who ruled Cyprus from 1489, the castle was converted for artillery use. According to the Department of Antiquities, the western wall was rebuilt in 1544, massive towers with gun emplacements were added at the north-western and south-eastern corners, and in 1560 a bastion with cannons on three levels was built onto the south-western corner.

Along the southern wall, the Venetians filled in entire sections with earth, creating a rampart over 22 metres thick. However, by the time of the Ottoman invasion, even these fortifications had become obsolete, and they had not managed to carry out the planned modernisation.

On 14 September 1570, upon learning of the fall of Nicosia, the garrison surrendered the castle to the Ottomans. In the passageway at the entrance stands the tomb of Sadik Pasha of Algiers, commander of the Turkish fleet, who died in September 1570 during the conquest of the island.

Prison, barracks and museum

In the Ottoman period a garrison was stationed in the castle, and the rest of the Ottoman population also lived inside its walls for protection. During the British period, the fortress initially served as a prison, and until 1950 as police barracks and a training school.

In 1950, the castle was handed over to the Department of Antiquities as a historic monument, and restoration work was almost complete when, in the summer of 1955, the British re-occupied it: they stationed security forces there and set up a prison for members of the EOKA organisation. According to the Department, the castle was not returned until more than four years later.

Inside, you can see the halls of the Venetian towers, the underground chambers of the western wing – which probably served as dungeons – and the remains of the upper floor, where, according to historians, the late Lusignans’ private quarters were located. The castle’s main exhibit is the Kyrenia ship.

The discovery of the Kyrenia ship

The ship was found in 1965 by the Cypriot diver Andreas Cariolou off the port of Kyrenia, at a depth of about 30 metres. In 1967, at the invitation of the Department of Antiquities, a team of underwater archaeologists led by Michael Katzev of the University of Pennsylvania came to Cyprus.

According to the Department, it took around five years to raise and restore the ship. The reassembly of the hull was supervised by Professor Richard Steffy, who had been sent by UNESCO to assist the Department of Antiquities. The ship’s remains were preserved at Kyrenia Castle, where they remain to this day.

Around 75 per cent of the hull has been preserved beneath a layer of amphorae and sand — this provides rare insights into how ships were built in ancient times. The vessel is 14.75 metres long and 4.30 metres wide. According to the department, analysis of the timber has shown that the trees used to build it were felled around 388 BC.

What the cargo revealed

It was a merchant ship. According to the Department of Antiquities, at the time of its sinking it was carrying 404 amphorae from Rhodes and Samos, some of which bore stamps, and 29 millstones made of volcanic rock from the islands of Kos and Nisyros, which were used as ballast. The ship sailed from the Aegean Sea or the coast of Ionia to Cyprus, and possibly also to Syria.

Based on the discovery of four plates, four mugs, four oil vessels and four wooden spoons, the archaeologists concluded that the crew consisted of four people. Lead weights, eight spearheads and seven bronze coins were also found; two of these are dated to 316–301 and 306–294 BC.

Food remains have also been preserved: a clove of garlic, 18 olive stones, 14,760 fig seeds and 10,000 beautifully preserved almonds. Radiocarbon analysis dated the almonds to 288 ± 62 BC.

A replica of the ship, coins and a visit

According to the Department of Antiquities, in 1982 the Hellenic Institute for the Preservation of Nautical Tradition undertook to build a replica of the ship. Kyrenia II took about 32 months to build; on 6 September 1986, it set sail from Piraeus with a crew of four and entered Paphos harbour on 2 October. According to the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, a replica can be seen at the Thalassa Municipal Museum in Ayia Napa.

The Kyrenia ship appears on the Cypriot 10, 20 and 50 cent euro coins. The Central Bank of Cyprus describes it as one of the best-preserved ancient ships in the world and has dedicated its 2020 set of euro coins to it.

The castle is situated in the occupied part of the island. To get to Kyrenia from the south, you usually go through the crossing points in the Nicosia area; read our articles on Northern Cyprus and the Green Line for the crossing rules and car insurance in advance, and check opening hours and admission fees on site.

Continue planning

• Kyrenia: the harbour, the old town and planning a visit
• Bellapais Abbey, Kyrenia: History and Visiting Guide
• Northern Cyprus: Status, Crossing the Line and What to Check

Official sources

• Department of Antiquities of the Republic of Cyprus: Keryneia Castle and the Kyrenia ship
• Central Bank of Cyprus: 2020 euro coin set
• Deputy Ministry of Tourism: Cyprus, 10,000 years of history and civilisation

Kyrenia Castle seen from the sea · Photo: Ad Meskens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · converted to WebP and resized.