The former fishing settlement of Ammochostos, from which the town Famagusta emerged, became more important in the Byzantine period when the inhabitants of the neighbouring town of Constantia / Salamis to the north relocated here after raids by the Arabs, several earthquakes and the shipping of their port. Despite its favourable deep port, the place remained insignificant even by the Byzantines.
The upswing to the richest city in the eastern Mediterranean began in the 13th century after the Franconian crusader Guido von Lusignan, King of Jerusalem until 1192, bought the island of Cyprus in 1192 from the English King Richard the Lionheart during the Third Crusade. After Guido's death in 1194, his older brother Amalrich II took over.
The old town of Famagusta is surrounded by a largely original wall from the 16th century. It has a total length of more than 3500 meters. The current centre of the old town is the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque, which emerged from the St. Nicholas Cathedral shortly after the conquest by its rededication.
As part of our explorations of Northern Cyprus we approached at the ruins of Salamis next to Famagusta, which played an important rule as a town kingdom from the 11th century BC as it was the capital among Cypriot city kingdoms.
About eight kilometers north of Famagusta and two kilometers west of Salamis you will find the St. Barnabas Monastery and the tomb where the martyr Barnabas is revered to as a Cypriot national saint.