History
The town of Kyrenia was founded probably in the first millennium BC and was one of the early city kingdoms whose rulers governed the island. Its central position on the northern coastline was perfect for trading with countries to the east and Turkey to the north. With the southern coast of Anatolia only forty miles away, cargo vessels could make the Mediterranean crossing frequently and an anchorage has existed here from earliest times.
In its heyday, just before the British occupation in 1878, local caiques (traditional fishing boats) conducted a thriving trade from Kyrenia Harbour. Depending on the season, they exported wheat and olives, carobs, donkeys and goats. The caiques brought in wood, earthenware, legumes, dairies and small luxuries such as silk and cotton cloth, buttons and furniture. Larger boats, mostly from Europe, arrived in late fall and early winter to take in the crop of carobs, the main export item also known as Cyprus Black Gold for the wealth it brought to the island. Slowly, two-storied buildings emerged around the harbour as owners used the lower floor as warehouses and the second floor as residences.
