Citadel Famagusta (Othello)

The original fortress was built at the beginning of the 14th century under Lusignan King Henri II. It consisted of a rectangular structure with four square towers, a large courtyard, and adjoining rooms, including a dining hall to the north. In 1492, extensive renovations began under the Venetian prefect Nicolao Foscareno. During this period, the tall, square towers were shortened, and vulnerable sections of the wall were reinforced. All openings in the masonry were sealed, and a meter-thick, sloped sand wall with stone cladding was added. Round towers with gun ramps were built at three corners. The northeast tower, a bastion securing the harbor, received its final form around 1560, possibly based on designs by Giovanni Girolamo Sanmichele. A fortified mole extended from here to the shipping lane. The moat that once surrounded the citadel was drained and filled in by the British administration before 1900.