Girne's History

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Girne / Kyrenia is founded in the 10th Century BC. , by Achaean settlers and was for many Centuries one of the 10 Kingdoms of Cyprus. The earliest reference made to the town of Girne / Kyrenia is found, together with that of the other seven city kingdoms of Cyprus, in Egyptian scripts dating from the period of Ramesses III, 1125-1100s BC.

From its early days of settlement, Girne / Kyrenia's commerce and maritime trade benefited enormously from its proximity to the Asia Minor coast. Boats set sail from the Aegean islands, travelled along the Asia Minor coast, and then crossed over the short distance to the northern shores of Cyprus to reach the two city kingdoms of Lapithos and Girne/Kyrenia. This lively maritime activity (late 4th or early 3rd century BC) is evident in an ancient shipwreck discovered by Andreas Kariolou in 1965, just outside Kyrenia harbour.


The vessel's route along Samos, Kos, Rhodes, the Asia Minor coastline and then Kyrenia/Girne, demonstrates the town's close maritime relations with other city kingdoms in the eastern Mediterranean.

During the succession struggle between Ptolemy and Antigonus that followed Alexander the Great's death in 323 BC, Girne/Kyrenia was subdued under the rule of the kingdom of Lapithos that allied itself with Antigonus. Once the Ptolemies were successful in dominating the whole island, all city kingdoms were abolished. Kyrenia however, because of its maritime trade, continued to prosper. In the 2nd century BC, it is cited as one of six Cypriot towns which were benefactors to the Oracle at Delphi, that is, it received its special representatives who collected contributions and gifts. The town's prosperity at this time is also evident from its two temples, one dedicated to Apollo and the other to Aphrodite, and from the rich archeological finds dating from the Hellenistic period excavated within the present-day town limits.

The Romans succeeded the Ptolemies as rulers of Cyprus and during this time Lapithos became the administrative centre of the district. The numerous tombs excavated and the rich archeological finds dating from this period indicate however, that Kyrenia/Girne continued to be a populous and prosperous town. An inscription found at the base of a limestone statue dating from 13-37 AD, refers to ‘Kyrenians Demos' that is, the town's inhabitants. Here as everywhere else, the Romans left their mark by constructing a castle with a seawall in front of it so that boats and ships could anchor in safety.

Christianity found fertile ground in the area. The first Christian martyrs used the old quarries of Chrysokava, just east of Kyrenia castle, as catacombs and cut-rock cemeteries which are considered among the island's most important specimens of this period. Later, some of these caves were converted into churches and feature beautiful iconography, the most representative of which is that found at ‘Ayia Mavri.' From these early days, the town of Kyrenia/Girne was an episcopal see. One of its first bishops, Theodotus, was arrested and tortured between 307-324, under the reign of Licinius. Though the persecution of Christians officially ended in 313, when Constantine I and his co-emperor, Licinius, issued the Edict of Milan which mandated toleration of Christians in the Roman Empire and freedom of worship, Theodotus martyrdom and persecution only ended in 324 and it is this event that the Church annually commemorates on March 2.

Medieval Ages
With the division of the Roman empire into an eastern and western empire, in 395 Cyprus came under the Byzantine emperors and the Greek Orthodox Church. The Byzantine emperors fortified Kyrenia's Roman castle and in the 10th century, they constructed in its vicinity a church dedicated to St. George, which the garrison used as a chapel. Then, when in 806, Lambousa was destroyed in the Arab raids, Kyrenia/Girne grew in importance because its castle and garrison offered its inhabitants protection and security. Isaac Komnenos of Cyprus, the island's last Byzantine governor, sent his family and treasures to the castle for safety in 1191 when King Richard I of England of England went to war with him. However, Richard defeated Comnenus and became the island's new master.

King Richard's rule was not welcomed in Cyprus so he sold the island first to the Templars, and then in 1192, to Guy of Lusignan. Under Frankish rule, the villages of the district of Kyrenia/Girne became feudal estates and the town became once again the administrative and commercial centre for its region. The Lusignans enlarged the castle, built a wall and towers around the town, and extended the fortifications to the harbour. They also fortified the Byzantine castles of Saint Hilarion, Bouffavento and Kantara, which, together with Kyrenia Castle, protected the town from land and sea attacks. Kyrenia castle played a pivotal role in the island's history during the many disputes among the Frankish kings, as well as the conflicts with the Genoese. On numerous occasions the castle came under siege, but it never capitulated.

In 1489, Cyprus came under Venetian rule. The Venetians modified Kyrenia Castle to meet the threat that the use of gunpowder and cannons posed. The castle's royal quarters and three of its four thin and elegant Frankish towers were demolished and replaced by thickset circular towers that could better withstand cannon fire. These new towers, however, were never put to the test. In 1571, the castle and the town surrendered to the Ottoman army.

Kyrenia / Girne under the Ottomans
Under Ottoman rule, Kyrenia / Girne district was at first one of four, then one of six, administrative districts of the island and the town remained its administrative capital. The few local inhabitants who dared to stay were merchants and fishermen whose livelihood depended on the sea. They built their homes outside the city wall, which through time, neglect and disrepair, turned to ruin. The rest of the inhabitants moved further out to the area known as Pano Kyrenia or the ‘Riatiko' (so called because it once belonged to a king) or fled further inland and to the mountain villages of Thermia, Karakoumi, Kazafani, Bellapais and Karmi.

The town revived again when bribes and gifts paid to local Turkish officials caused them to permit local maritime trade with Asia Minor and the Aegean islands to resume. In 1783, the church of Chrysopolitissa was renovated. Then in 1856, following the Hatt-I-Humayum, which introduced social and political reform and greater religious freedom for the various peoples of the Ottoman Empire, the church of Archangel Michael was rebuilt on a rocky mount overlooking the sea. At about this time, many of the Christian inhabitants of the surrounding villages reestablished themselves in the town. Local agriculture and maritime trade, particularly the export of carobs to Asia Minor, allowed the people of Kyrenia to have a comfortable living, and some even to educate their children and pursue other cultural activities.

Under British Rule
In 1878, following a secret agreement between the British and Ottoman governments, the island was ceded to Great Britain as a military base in the eastern Mediterranean. At first, Great Britain did not undertake major administrative changes, so Kyrenia / Girne remained the district's capital. A road was constructed through the mountain pass to connect the town to the island's capital, Nicosia, and the harbour was repaired and expanded to accommodate increasing trade with the opposite coast. The town's municipal affairs were put in order and the municipal council took an active role in cleaning and modernizing the town. In 1893, a hospital was built through private contributions and effort. By the first decade of the twentieth century, Kyrenia / Girne was a buzzing little town with a new school building, its own newspaper, social, educational and athletic clubs. It was also a favoured vacation spot for many wealthy Nicosia families. Many homes were converted into pensions and boardinghouses and in 1906, the first hotel, ‘Akteon,' was built by the sea. These first decades of British rule however, also saw increased economic hardship for the population. High taxation, frequent droughts and a world economic depression were precipitating factors for a mass exodus of people from the town and district, first to Egypt and then to the United States.

In 1922, the episcopal see of Kyrenia / Girne relocated back to the town after the completion of a new metropolitan building. That same year, the Greco-Turkish war brought to a halt all trade with the opposite coast causing a serious economic depression. To the rescue came a young repatriate from the USA who built the town's first modern hotels, the ‘Seaview' in 1922 and the ‘Dome' in 1932, having a foreign tourist clientele in mind. Kyrenia's mild climate, picturesque harbour, numerous archeological sites, panoramic views that combined sea, mountains and vegetation, coupled with modern amenities, soon attracted many travellers and Girne's economy revived through tourism. After the Second World War, more hotels were built and the town remained a favoured vacation spot for Nicosia residents and foreign travellers alike. To the town's Greek and Turkish inhabitants were added many from Great Britain who chose Girne as their permanent place of residence.

After Cypriot Independence
In 1960, Cyprus gained its independence from Great Britain. However, the intercommunal conflict that broke out in 1963-64 between the island's Greek and Turkish population again eroded Girne's prosperity. For the next ten years, the region suffered enormously and tensions between the two communities rose as Greece positioned itself for the complete annexation of the Island and the minority Turkish population became targetted as the impediment to this overall objective. The Greek authorities made no secret of their desire for "Enosis", and as a natural consequence, many Turkish families were targetted, often violently, in a move that would today be referred to as "ethnic cleansing". The overall result was that the Turkish population was greatly diminished and the lives of those remaining was made unbearable.

In 1974, the head of the Greek army in Cyprus, General Grivas, died, which set off a chain of evemnts which led to the eventual dividion of the island. Religious leader, Archbishop Makarios took the opportunity to purge supporters of "Enosis" from the ranks of the police and the army, but Nikos Sampson, a terrorist who had been elected to the Cyprus Parliament in 1970, mounted a coup against the moderate forces of the Orthodox Church, with the backing of the army, and installed himself as dictator. Archbishop Makarios was forced into exile in Britain and the future of Cyprus and its inhabitants from both Turkish and Greek backgrounds, now lay in the hands of the Greek Army.

On July 20, 1974, Turkey landed on the island to protect the Turkish minority from attack from the Greek militia. By this time the Turkish population had been decimated and was in real danger of being completely erradicated altogether.

The advancing Turkish troops moved south towards Lefkosa (Nicosia), providing safety and security for Turkish families in the North. Greek families fled south and Turksih families moved north establishing a border running east to west, from Gazimagusa (Famagusta) through the capitol and across to Guzelyurt, along what is now known as the Green Line.

This narrow 'no-go' zone continues to be policed by the United Nations, while a political solution is being negotiated. Claims over 'stolen' land continue on both sides, and a united Cyprus seems unlikely while ever the interests of the minority Turkish population are under threat.

Sampson failed to win the support of his own countrymen and he himself was ousted and charged with treason and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.

However the legacy of the summer of '74 remains.
Both communities have established themselves in their respective territories, but bad feeling that dates back more than two millennia, still remains.

Visitors to the Island are impressed by the warmth and generosity of both the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots, and it is difficult to imagine how the relationship became so irreconcilable. There are talks on a daily basis of a possible resolution, and discussions about improved road networks between the territories provides some tangible hope that a solution is possible .

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