Hafenkastell and Byzantine Museum

Once again, it was time for a little cultural excursion to the old town of Larnaca. The destination was the Hafenkastell, located directly on the promenade in the old Turkish quarter. The current castle was built in 1625 by the Ottomans, with older structures dating back to the High Middle Ages. The medieval complex was likely much larger and served, like the Ottoman one, to protect the harbor. An Italian traveler reported in the 18th century that he found the fort in ruins.

Today, the courtyard is used for events and has a stage and seating. A large ramp leads to the flat roof and the defensive walls. It reminded me quite a bit of forts from old pirate movies, and the view from above is beautiful.

One of the main buildings is located on the first floor, housing a small museum and the former Ottoman reception room with cushions. The museum exhibits only a few objects, and the information is sparse. Everything seems a little haphazardly put together.

After visiting the castle, we walked back towards the Lazarus Church and briefly visited the Byzantine Museum. It is a purely ecclesiastical museum, with a lot of sacred objects and icons on display. It is also very small, so we quickly went through it. The admission prices for both museums, by the way, were quite moderate.

Since we were a little hungry, we stopped at To Kafe Tis Chrysanthi's (https://www.facebook.com/ToKafeTisChrysanthis/) and shared a delicious breakfast and a piece of homemade Snickers cheesecake.