Famagusta

Famagusta (Gazimağusa in Turkish) is a small city of 40000 inhabitants on the east coast of Cyprus. After Kyrenia it is the most scenic city in north Cyprus. Its historic centre is surrounded by Venetian walls and contains a number of ruins of medieval churches, some of which have been converted to mosques. During the Middle Ages Famagusta was an important gateway for trade with the Levant. Founded in 274 BC by Ptolemaic Egypt, it remained a small village for a long time, until in 1192 in came under Lusignan rule. The city grew a lot, was seized by the Genoese in 1372 and the Venetians in 1489. Famagusta fell to the Ottomans after the 1570-71 siege. Nowadays it lies in northern Cyprus and is an important commercial hub. It has a the most important port of Northern Cyprus for travel and commerce.