LARNAKA FORT

This fort (Κάστρο Λάρνακας/Kastro Larnakas, Larnaka Castle) stands modestly on the seafront with its handsome stone walls rising 10 m above the end of Finikoudes beach. It was built during the reign of James ^I of Cyprus (1382-1398) on the site of a ^12th-century Byzantine fortress. Reinforced by the Venetians in the ^15th century, it was remodeled by the Ottomans in 1625, notably in the northern part, as attested by an inscription in Ottoman Turkish. Inside, the courtyard is pleasant. Planted with trees and palms, it is dominated by the minaret of the nearby Büyük mosque. There are large lizards, Muslim steles and cannons from different eras, including three Krupp models from the 1900s. You can take a tour of the passageways, where newlyweds are sometimes photographed. The view of the sea and the harbour is indeed splendid. Less beautiful is the history of the place. Directly to the right of the entrance is the execution chamber. The British turned the fort into a prison from 1920 to 1948, and used hanging until 1945. The rope was attached to a beam above a trapdoor operated by the executioner. The condemned man's relatives were allowed to watch the execution from the courtyard. Above the execution chamber, a small "medieval" museum houses a collection of Neolithic artefacts, reproductions of the coats of arms of Frankish lords (Dampierre, d'Ibelin, Visconti, Lusignan), Venetian pottery, ^18th- and ^19th-century weapons..