Paphos Castle

Squat Ottoman-era fort guarding the entrance to the old harbour

A small, blocky fort sitting at the very end of the harbour quay. The Lusignans built the first version in the 13th century, the Venetians blew it up, and the Ottomans put up the squat single tower that stands today. It has done duty as a prison, a salt warehouse and an open-air cinema before becoming the photogenic backdrop to the harbour you see now.

Climb the steep stone staircase inside — the roof terrace gives the best view of the seafront and is the centrepiece every September of the Paphos Aphrodite opera festival.

things to do landmark sight
A story
The Venetians dismantled the original Lusignan castle in 1570 rather than let it fall into Ottoman hands; the Ottomans rebuilt it on top of the same foundations a few decades later.