"قبرص." [ظ‎‎٢‎٤] (١٨٤/٤٨)

42
CYPRUS.
Ancient his
tory.
Situation.
Deicription.
high and massive, and when made must have been very strong;
they are now in a dilapidated condition, and by no means as perfect
as those of Famagusta. The rampart consists of two retaining
walls of stone with earth rammed in between them, in places they
are 30 or 40 feet high; the top is level and is used as a walk and
ride. The ditch, if ever there was one, is now wholly obliterated,
and as the town is commanded by high ground within range on three
sides, it could not in its present state be held against the fire of
modern artillery. The ramparts are armed with about 50 guns,
most of which are of old and curious patterns, and quite obsolete;
some are Venetian bronze cannon, and both guns and carriages are
quite worn out and unserviceable, with the exception of a few
English naval guns made in the reign of George III, from which it
is possible to fire salutes. The fortress of Nicosia, defended by the
Venetians, withstood for 45 days a vigorous siege on the part of
the Turks, it was at last taken by storm on the 9th September,
1570, and from that day commenced the rapid decline and decay
of the city, which was so celebrated in the time of the Lusignans.
FAMAGUSTA.
Famagusta (called by the Turks, Maoussa) occupies the site of
the ancient Ammochostos, one of the royal cities which paid tribute
to Assyria, and it is also said that Ptolemy Philadelphus founded
here one of the four cities named by him after his sister Arsinoe.
After the battle of Actium, Augustus called it Fama Agusti, from
which the present name is derived. The town, which had been
built 800 years ago by the Christians out of the ruins of Salamis,
was destroyed by the Turks in 1571, after the terrible siege during
which the Venetian soldiers so long and heroically defended their
position.
Famagusta is situated on the east coast of the island, in the bay
of the same name, and about 4£ miles south of the ancient city
and port of Salamis.
This once considerable and important city is now described as
consisting simply of a mass of ruins, and the streets are said to be
at present only lanes almost choked up by the fallen ruins of the
adjacent buildings. Under the Lusignans and the Venetians,
Famagusta was a populous city, counting its beautiful churches by
hundreds, and its palatial mansions by thousands. Now the place
is almost uninhabited, except by a company of Turkish soldiers,
and the native population is not above 500, all of whom are
Mussulmans. Of the 300 churches which are said to have existed,
two only now remain; the beautiful Latin Cathedral of St. Nicolas
is now used as the Turkish mosque, of Famagusta ; it is a very large
and fine structure in the Gothic style, and although it is much
ruined, the rose windows bricked up, the frescoes covered with
plaster, and the altar-piece dismantled, its splendid proportions still
remain in their original grandeur. The other church is used as a
granary and stable by the Turks. On the still existing walls of
many of the fine mediaeval churches, frescoes remain plainly visible
in the interiors. The hewn stones with which the houses are built