Overview
At the end of the palm-tree-lined promenade Finikoudes in Larnaca stands the medieval fort dating back to the rule of the Lusignan King James I (1382-1398).
King James built the fort to protect the town’s harbour and its trade activities after the Genovese occupied the nearby Famagusta port. While some eighteenth-century sources insist that the fort was built by the Turks in 1625, it is well documented that a Turkish garrison had been stationed there since 1570. Other references by travellers confirm that the fort was constructed before 1625.
After the end of the Ottoman era in Cyprus, the British converted the fort into a prison and used it during the first years of their rule. The western chamber of the ground floor in the east was used to execute prisoners. The gallows, which must have been constructed in the room, were in use until 1948.
Today, the fort houses the small Larnaca Medieval Museum in three rooms, exhibiting artefacts from the Early Christian period (the fourth through the seventh centuries) to the Ottoman period (eighteenth and nineteenth centuries).
Operating Hours: September 16 – April 15, Monday – Friday: 08:00 – 17:00
April 16 – September 15, Monday – Friday: 08:00 – 19:30
Saturday and Sunday: 09:30 – 17:00
Operating Period: All year round.
Closed on Public Holidays.
Entrance Fee: €2.50
Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting.
