Chain Tower

In the Middle Ages a chain suspended between two towers defended the entrance of Kyrenia’s harbour, like the chain across the Golden Horn in Constantinople.
William de Oldenburg, who visited Cyprus in 1211 during the reign of King Hugh I, referred to Kyrenia as “a small town well-fortified, which has a castle with walls and towers”. He perceived the chain tower as part of Kyrenia’s fortification system in that time.
The Byzantines had already fortified the city, but in the 13th century, during the Longobard war, before the siege of the city, Frederick II’s party, under the direction of Captain Philippo Genardo, improved the defences of the city.
The chain tower is still visible today on the north side of the old Kyrenia harbour. It consists of an 8.15 m diameter cylindrical tower and a 1.5 m diameter pillar on top of it. Often mistaken for a lighthouse, the iron chain was stretched across the entrance of Kyrenia Harbour between two towers, the other being the old Customs House located at the urban entrance of the harbour. The chain was suspended across the harbour entrance to block hostile shipping and defend the city against threats.