Famagusta Castle ( Greek Κάστρο της Αμμοχώστου ) or Othello Castle ( Othello Tower , Greek Πύργος του Οθέλο ) is a fortification in the city of Famagusta in Cyprus , now in the territory of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus .
| Castle | |
| Famagusta Castle (Othello Tower) | |
|---|---|
| Κάστρο της Αμμοχώστου (Πύργος του Οθέλο) | |
 Desdemona Tower is another name for the castle. Photo of 1900. | |
| A country |  Northern Cyprus |
| City | Famagusta |
| Founder | Henry I de Lusignan |
| Established | beg. XIII century |
| Construction | beg. XIII century - 1310 |
| Status | Othello Museum |
History
Othello Castle is located in the north-eastern part of the old town of Famagusta, and adjoins the fortress wall surrounding the cargo port.
At the beginning of the XIII century, King of Cyprus Henry I de Lusignan (1218-1253) erected the first tower to protect the port of Famagusta. The castle was completely built in 1310. After the island came under the control of the Venetian Republic , Othello Castle - by order of the commandant Nicolo Foscari - was reconstructed (in 1492). Repair work, which was also carried out in relation to the fortress walls surrounding the city, lasted a total of about three years. Othello Castle was rebuilt in the style typical of the Renaissance , a stone slab with the image of Leo St. Mark , the symbol of the patron of Venice, indicating the name of N. Foscari and the date (1492) was installed at the entrance to it. The castle itself had four towers connected by internal corridors and in which there were loopholes for conducting artillery fire in case of an enemy attack from the sea. During the onset of hostilities, these corridors were used by soldiers to quickly transfer reinforcements from one tower to another. To the north and south of the castle is an adjacent courtyard, where you can see ancient Turkish and Spanish bronze cannons, some of which are more than 400 years old, as well as iron and stone cores to them.
Othello Castle got its name during the British colonial possession of Cyprus. It is connected with the famous tragedy of Shakespeare " Othello ", according to which the Venetian commandant of Cyprus out of jealousy strangled his wife Desdemona here. The legend of this crime is associated with the dramatic events of the life of the Governor of Cyprus, Lieutenant Cristoforo Moro , who ruled the island in 1505-1508, 65 years before the capture of Cyprus by the Turks.
Currently, the Othello Castle houses a museum of the same name. The entrance to it is 9 Turkish lira. Monday is the day off.
Literature
- Bliznyuk S.V. City landscape of Famagusta in the XIII-XIV centuries. // www.cyprusexplorer.globalfolio.net
- Hasan Karlitas, Tuncer Bagiskan Gasimagusa (Famagusta) , The Office of Turism and Promotion North Cyprus, 2013.