KYRENIA

Kyrenia is a coastal city in North Cyprus. It has been a settlement since ancient times and was referenced in the twelfth century BC. It has been under the control of numerous powers since then, and has been the administrative capital of the area at various times since the Romans. It suffered something of a decline as a garrison town in Ottoman times but was revived afterwards. For tourists, the main sight is the Byzantine Kyrenia Castle, with the nearby, 11th-century St Hilarion also an attraction and serves as a starting point for excursions into the Kyrenian mountain range.