Othello Castle: A Lusignan Fortress Protecting Famagusta’s Port
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.4
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Cyprus
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval, Early Modern
- Civilizations
- Kingdom of Cyprus, Ottoman, Venetian
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page8 sections
History
Othello Castle, also known as Othello Tower or Famagusta Castle, is a Lusignan fortress in Famagusta, Cyprus, built in the fourteenth century in the Gothic architectural tradition to protect the adjacent port. It formed part of the city’s wider defenses and served as Famagusta’s principal entrance from the land.
Lusignan foundation
The Lusignans, the dynasty that ruled the medieval Kingdom of Cyprus from the late twelfth century into the fifteenth century, constructed the fortress to guard the port against enemy attack. A first tower at the harbor is attributed to King Henry I of Cyprus in the early thirteenth century. The later fortress is recorded as completed in 1310.
Its position beside the port gave it both a defensive and an administrative purpose within Famagusta’s fortifications. The fortress controlled access from the land while also helping protect the harbor from attacks approaching by sea.
Venetian reconstruction
After the Republic of Venice took control of Cyprus, it rebuilt or restored the fortress and the surrounding city walls. Venice was a maritime state whose defensive works in Cyprus were adapted to the growing use of artillery. Work associated with Captain Niccolo Foscari is dated to 1492 and continued for approximately three years. The main entrance still bears his name beside the date and the Venetian emblem.
The reconstruction replaced the earlier square towers with round towers, which were better suited to artillery defense, particularly against attacks from the sea. Leonardo da Vinci may have advised on the rebuilding in 1481, but his precise involvement remains uncertain.
Ottoman capture and later history
Ottoman forces captured the fortress from Venice in 1570. They held it for approximately one year, until 1571, and added bastions and walls at the corners during the Ottoman period. A bastion is a projecting fortification designed to strengthen defensive fire against attackers approaching a wall or gate.
The name Othello Castle became linked to William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, whose second act includes scenes set at a Cypriot seaport and in a palace hall. Shakespeare never visited Cyprus. The association rests on a literary tradition connecting the play with Cristoforo Moro, a Venetian governor of Cyprus in the early sixteenth century. Moro was reportedly bereaved when his young wife died during the sea journey home from Cyprus, but he was not a Moor, and his identification with Shakespeare’s character is not established.
In 1900, the British drained the fortress moat to reduce the risk of malaria. Reconstruction or restoration began in 2014, and the fortress reopened on 3 July 2015. It now operates as the Othello Museum.
Remains
Fortifications and entrances
Othello Castle stands beside the fortification wall adjoining the cargo-port area. Very deep moats surrounded the fortress and formed a major part of its defensive system. The wider fortification walls are approximately 3.5 kilometres long, 4 metres thick, and 10 metres high. The complex itself contained four towers joined by internal passageways, allowing soldiers to move equipment quickly between them.
The fortress had two gates, one opening toward the land and the other toward the sea. Its main entrance carries a marble relief of the Lion of Saint Mark, the winged lion used as the emblem of Saint Mark and as a principal symbol of Venetian authority. The relief is accompanied by the date 1492 and the name of Captain Niccolo Foscari, who led the Venetian rebuilding.
Walls, towers, and bastions
The fortress was built from sandstone, with large vaulted roofs constructed in a Gothic style. Venetian rebuilding also introduced Renaissance-period design. The earlier square towers were converted into round towers, reflecting the changing requirements of artillery warfare. Three named bastions form part of the surviving defenses: the Toxoti Bastion, the Martinengo Bastion, and the bastion at Marine Gate.
Interior buildings and courtyards
Several buildings survive within the complex, including a large kitchen from the Lusignan period, a refectory or dining hall, and a dormitory containing numerous beds. Courtyards extend to the north and south of the fortress. They contain Turkish, or Ottoman, and Spanish cannons, some more than 400 years old. The guns are made of bronze or iron and preserve evidence of the artillery associated with the fortress’s later defensive history.
