THE MEDITERRANEAN NATURALIST 
Turks, live within the walls, A new town, called 
Yaroshia, has sprung up half a mile outside the 
gates, where all the business is carried on. The old 
cathedral of Eamagusta is a very striking building, 
terribly ruined, but still used as a mosqufe, like the 
old cathedral of Nicosia, to which I have alluded. 
The only other fortress of any consequence was 
the fort of Kyrenia, a mediaeval-looking castle pic- 
turesquely situated at the water’s edge, and occu- 
pying one side of the small harbour of Kyrenia. It 
is now used as a prison. 
Three ruined castles, dating from the times of 
that Crusades, are situated on the northern range 
hills. The most important of these is the Castle 
of St. Hilarion, situated about half a mile to the 
west of the Kyrenia Pass, and 2380 feet above the 
sea. Parts of it are in a fair state of preservation, 
and from the extent of its walls it must have re- 
quired a garrison of at least500men. It was besieged 
and taken by Richard Coeur de Lion when he lan- 
ded in Cyprus on his way to Palestine. It is easily 
approached from the east, but on other sides it is 
inaccessible. 
The ruins of another castle are found on the top 
of Buffa Vento, which is nearly the highest peak 
on the northern range, and about halfway between 
Pentedaktylon and the Kyrenia Pass. Very little 
remains of this ruin, and the most perfect portion, 
containing a fine Gothic window, was much dama- 
ged by an earthquake five or six years ago. The 
castle is most difficult of access, and its building 
must have been a work of great labour. It can now 
only be approached by climbing from the foot of 
the hills. 
The third ruined castle on the northern range is 
Kantara, situated in the Carpas at an altitude of 
over 2000 feet. It is in a better state of preserva- 
tion than the castle of Buffa Vento, though not so 
good as St. Hilarion. It is called by the Greeks 
“ Ekatonspitia ” (hundred houses). Prom the castle 
of Kantara, looking westward along the northern 
shore, is one of the most beautiful views in the 
whole island. 
There is another beautiful ruin in the -northern 
range, viz. the old monastery of Bellapais, about 
three miles from Kyrenia. The refectory is still in 
good repair, and the rest of the building, though 
roofless, shows distinctly the monks dormitories, 
the chapter room, cloisters, &c. The chapel of the 
15 
monastery is still used as the village church. The 
tracery of the windows and cloisters is very perf :l 
in many places. 
These ruins all date back from the middle ages, 
mostly from the time of the Lusignan d r v. 0* 
ancient buildings of an earlier date there are h a 
few remaining. Probably the oldest complete buil- 
ding is the church of the Holy Cross, on the top of 
the mountain of SantaCroce, which is stated by the 
Mas Latrie to have been founded in the fourth 
century. The lower part of the walls is evidently 
a far more ancient heathen temple. 
There are other places, mostly in ruins, of little 
architectural interest, but interesting by their tra- 
ditions, such as the tomb of St. Barnabas (concer- 
ning which there is a curious tradition), the old 
Tower of Kolossi, near Limassol, and ancient cities 
and temples, whose ruins yield old statues, of no 
very striking merit, to the antiquity hunter. 
Extensive ruins, three miles north of Famagusta, 
indicate the site of Salamis, once a most flourishing 
seaport, the place where St. Paul landed when he 
visited Cyprus. It evidently was a wealthy place, 
and ruined columns, still remaining, show that an 
aqueduct conveyed water to the city from the spring 
at Kythrea, a distance of 25 miles as the crow files. 
At Larnaca is the site of the ancient port and 
citadel of Kitium (or Chittim). A hill called Bam- 
boolah marks the site of the latter, and yields to 
the excavator large blocks of finely cut stone. 
There are two ancient independent monasteries, 
both situated on the southern range, viz. Kikko, 
which stands on the watershed of the Troondos 
range at an altitude of 3800 feet, and Mac cere, 
which is further east and is most picturesque!; 
situated on the northern slopes of the southern 
range. Kikko was founded 800 years ago, but tf : : 
old building was destroyed by fire in 1817, and then 
lost all its books and MSS. It is very wealthy, 
being a shrine of some sanctity, and receiving man; 
pilgrims every year. It possesses property, 
only in Cyprus, but also in parts of Turkey, bot i 
in Europe and Asia, and considerable property in 
Tiflis. 
Machera is not so large or wealthy as Kikko, but 
it is in some respects a more interesting spot. 
Amongst other objects of interest, it possesses : 
picture of a former abbot, who subsequent’ y be- 
came archbishop of Cyprus, and was hanged by the 
