Crusader Castles in Cyprus, Greece and the Aegean 1191–1571

The world famous Parthenon Temple on the Acropolis (upper city) of Athens had been converted into a Christian church in the 6th century; it served as the cathedral of the Crusader Duchy of Athens from 1208 to 1458. However, virtually every fragment of post-Classical architecture on the Acropolis was removed during the 19th century in an almost fanatical attempt to recreate what had existed in the Golden Age of Classical Greece. This meant that not only the Ottoman Turkish mosque, houses and other structures were demolished, but also what remained from the Byzantine and Crusader periods. One of the last items to go was a tall stone tower (1), similar to those that still dot the countryside of Attica. It survived long enough to be photographed and had at least one overhanging box-machicolation (2) above its only entrance door. Facing it, the north wing of the Propylaea or main entrance complex of the ancient Acropolis (3) had been raised in height and was used as the chancellery of the Duchy of Athens. When the Italian banker Nerio Acciaioli Lord of Corinth became duke of Athens in 1388 he converted the Propylaea into a fine Italian-style palace known as the Mnesikles. Acciaioli is also sometimes credited with constructing the fortified tower. To what extent the rest of the site was fortified remains unknown, though crenellated walls (4) were built around various parts of the ancient Acropolis, and fallen drums of ancient columns were often used as defences or obstructions in subsequent fortifications (5). Serious defences were certainly added during the Ottoman period. In the 17th century the palace, which was currently being used as the Ottoman governor’s residence, was struck by lightning; a magazine exploded and part of the Classical portico collapsed.

The Crusaders who conquered so much Byzantine territory also seized a variety of fortifications. These they mostly reused and strengthened. Cyprus, despite its seemingly exposed situation in the eastern Mediterranean, had not been strongly fortified by the Byzantines and the important town of Famagusta had only minor defences. The Crusaders now added more, strengthening Famagusta’s two or three gates and constructing a tower to control the harbour entrance. Under Lusignan rule there were four types of fortification in Cyprus: isolated mountain-top castles in the north of the island, such as Buffavento, St Hilarion, and Kantara; coastal towns with citadels, such as Paphos, Limassol, and Magusa; inland towns with minimal defences, such as Nicosia; and small rural castles.