Kyrenia

Kyrenia (Girne in Turkish) is a small city located on the coast of Northern Cyprus. It is famous for its historical harbour and the Venetian castle. It's the most picturesque town in Cyprus and attracts a large number of tourists also due to other historical sites in the area (Bellapais, the St Hilarion and Buffavento castles). Kyrenia was founded in the 10th century BC by the Mycenaeans. The Romans established the foundations of its castle in the 1st century AD. In the 7th century the Byzantines built a castle on the site of the Roman foundations, which was later expanded by the Lusignans and the Venetians. Kyrenia was seized by the Ottomans in 1571. Nowadays it is the cultural and economic centre of Northern Cyprus and a major tourist centre with many hotels and lots of nightlife. Currently it has 21000 inhabitants.