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Kyrenia (Girne)

Kyrenia (Girne) has always been governed by the sea. Its natural harbour, once coveted by anyone with dreams of empire and bustling with traders and exporters, is today just as popular with visitors whose only desire is to stroll the seaside strand and hop on a boat cruise around the bay.

Catch a whiff of the days long gone by strolling the narrow twisty lanes of the Old Town. Then climb up the honey-coloured fortifications of the Byzantine castle, lording it up over the horseshoe-shaped inlet, and stare down at the fishing boats bobbing in the water. Afterwards, join the flocks of day-trippers and travellers taking up residence outside the former carob warehouses that now house harbourside restaurants. Here on the waterfront is the ideal spot to ponder this ancient port’s mammoth history while staring out to sea.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Kyrenia (Girne).

  • Historic Site

    Kyrenia Castle

    If the grand fortifications of Kyrenia Castle could talk, they could sure tell some tales. The castle was first built by the Byzantines – possibly over the remains of an earlier Roman fort – and every era of conquerors from Richard the Lionheart to the Ottomans has added its own touch to the castle's bulk. A large rectangular structure, the castle contains a cistern, dungeon, chapel and two small museums, though the real highlight is walking along the ramparts high above the harbour.

  • Area

    Old Town

    Wrapping around the Old Harbour, the diminutive Old Town is an atmospheric area for a wander. Its winding alleyways hold a jumble of abandoned stone buildings slowly slipping into disrepair, mixed with newer concrete additions. Modest remnants of Kyrenia's long history are speckled throughout the lanes. Two of the major monuments are the Ottoman-era Ağa Cafer Pașa Mosque and the dilapidated remains of 16th-century Chysopolitissa Church. There are also ancient Greco-Roman tombs on the road leading to Archangelos Michael Church.

  • Museum

    Archangelos Michael Icon Museum

    The 19th-century Archangelos Michael Church, with its white bell tower rising up above the surrounding harbourside buildings, displays icons dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. The collection is made up of icons salvaged from Orthodox churches throughout Northern Cyprus. Notable depictions include Saint George and the Dragon, the beheading of John the Baptist, and the Virgin and Child.

  • Museum

    Cyprus House

    This lovingly restored old carob warehouse on the harbour contains interesting ethnographic exhibits of traditional clothing, furniture and Cypriot textile craftwork. There are also displays on the harbour’s history as a major trading port exporting carob to Europe.

  • Church

    Chysopolitissa Church

    This small roofless ruin is Kyrenia's oldest church, dating back to the 1500s. It's usually kept open so you can check out the two intricately carved wood beams inside.

  • Tomb

    Greco-Roman Tombs

    These ancient tombs, carved into the rock face, and usually partially obscured by parked vehicles, are thought to have been used in the Hellenistic and Roman eras.

  • Church

    St Andrew's Anglican Church

    Built in 1913, this unassuming, whitewashed church still holds Sunday services for Kyrenia's small Anglican community of foreign residents.