Discover Kyrenia

When looking for a hotel in Kyrenia, it is worth exploring the cultural and maritime themes associated with the castle and harbour. Kyrenia Castle brings together historical material from periods far apart: its prison rooms feature displays about events from the 14th century; a shipwreck and artefacts dating to around 300 BC are also on display. The harbour offers a different perspective: a setting of yachts and fishing boats, and its former role in seasonal trade. These varied themes give your trip a specific cultural context.

Kyrenia Castle: two historical periods

The prison rooms from the Lusignan period at Kyrenia Castle feature displays based on actual events from 1367–1368, during the reign of King Peter I. The dates give these displays a clear timeframe. For culture-minded travellers, this offers a precisely defined focus: the events of two specific years and the reign of a particular king take centre stage.

The shipwreck and artefacts on display represent a different time horizon. The artefacts are dated to around 300 BC. The castle thus brings together archaeological objects with a dating that reaches far back in time and displays about events from the 14th century. The comparison makes the distinct historical periods tangible: on one hand, dated artefacts; on the other, staged displays about events from the time of King Peter I. If you are interested in history, this juxtaposition offers more than a single, undifferentiated castle theme.

Harbour scenery and trading history

Numerous yachts and fishing boats fill Kyrenia Harbour, while the imposing Crusader castle defines its setting. The boats and castle create a distinctive image, separate from the exhibits inside the castle. If you would like to include harbour scenes in your trip, this setting offers a different perspective from the historical themes of the prison rooms and artefacts.

The harbour’s trading history dates back to a different era. Before the British occupation of Cyprus in 1878, local kaïques—traditional fishing boats—conducted seasonal trade from Kyrenia Harbour. Goods exported included wheat, olives, carob, donkeys and goats. Imports included timber, pottery, pulses, dairy products, silk and cotton fabrics, and furniture. These examples cover both exports and imports, highlighting the variety of goods traded at the time. The kaïques are interesting not only as a type of boat, but also for their role in seasonal trade. The list includes agricultural produce, animals, food, materials, textiles and furniture—different kinds of goods that all feature in this trading history.

Choose Kyrenia to suit your interests

The castle brings together the approximate dating of the artefacts to around 300 BC and displays about events from 1367–1368. At the harbour, the focus is on its former trading activity before 1878 and the setting of yachts, fishing boats and the Crusader castle. Consider whether you would like to focus your trip more on archaeological finds and historical displays, on the harbour scenery and its trading history, or on both perspectives.

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