Famagusta Walled City

Walled City of Mağusa, is the old city and the historical artifacts within the historical walls of Mağusa. The walls of Mağusa surrounds the city of Gazimağusa. Built by the Lusignan Kingdom of Cyprus in the 14th century, the walls were renovated by the Venetians in the 15th and 16th centuries before the Ottomans conquered the island in 1571. The walls withstood the 11-month Siege of Mağusa when the Ottomans conquered the island in August 1571.
The walls of Mağusa consist of a wall surrounded by a moat carved from the rock on the land side and a port on the sea side. Like the walls of Rhodes built by the Knights Hospitaller between the 14th and 16th centuries, the walls of Mağusa also show the transition between the medieval walls and the bastioned walls of the early modern period.
The historical places exsist within the walls; Canbulat Museum and Bastion, Othello Castle, The Church of St. George of the Greeks, the Church of St. George of the Latins, the Port of Gazimağusa, the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque (St. Nicholas Cathedral), the Francis Church, the Namık Kemal Dungeon and Museum, the Kertikli Bath, the Walls of Mağusa, the Monastery of St. Barnabas, the Church of St. Anna, the Nestorian Church, the Church of St. Fotu, the Tabakhane Mosque, the Castle Gate and the Ravelin, the Venetian Palace, the Dry Fountain, the Martinengo Bastion/Armory, the Red Bath, the Bishop Chapel, the Venetian House, the Diamante/Karpaz Bastion, the Cafer Pasha Fountain, the Underground Church, the Sea Gate, the House with the Fireplace, the Signoria Bastion, the Lusignan Mansion, the Armenian Church, the Biddulph Gate, the Del Mezzo Bastion, the San Luca Bastion, the Diocare Bastion, the St. Antoine Church, the Pulacazara Bastion, the Moratto Bastion, the Carmelite Church, the St. Zoni Church, the Santa Napa Bastion, the St. Nicholas Church, the Andruzzi Bastion, Twin Churches, Camposanto Tower, St. Peter and Paul Church / Wheat Mosque, St. Symeon Church, Nameless Churches, Yirmisekiz Çelebi Mehmet Efendi Tomb, Venus Sarcophagus, Mustafa Zühtü Efendi and Mehmet Ömer Efendi Tombs, Ottoman Madrasa, St. Mary Bethlehem Church, Mustafa Pasha Mosque, Ağlayan Dede Lodge, Tuzhane, Akkule Mosque, Kutup Osman Efendi Lodge and Tomb, Çanakkale Martyrs' Cemetery.

TİKA's Contributions

Within the project started in 2021, in co-operation with the Famagusta Walled City Association, the identification plates of the ancient places in the Famagusta Walled City were replaced with Plexiglas (transparent) plates. In addition to the name of the place, one paragraph introductory information in two languages (Turkish and English) was added to the plates. Solar powered illuminations were installed on the plates. QR codes have been added to the plates. Visitors who scan QR codes with their mobile phones are able to access more information about the place. In addition, the plates are designed at a height that can be easily read by orthopedically impaired individuals and are designed to be listened to with audio so that visually impaired individuals can benefit. Limited free WiFi infrastructure was also installed.  Within the scope of the project, brochures with basic information and indicating the location of historical places were printed. Location maps were placed at 5 different points.