Nitovikla Castle, North Cyprus

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Nitovikla Castle is not a true castle, but a Bronze Age fortress, probably constructed to defend the area from attacks from the sea. Built in approximately 1800BC, Nitovikla Castle resembles similar forts built by the Anatolian Hittites against the Egyptian threat at this time.

Remains of Nitovikla Castle, North Cyprus

All that remains today are some stones from its original four main walls and towers, marking out the original courtyard in the middle.  nowhere near their original height. Be advised that the remains are reached by a rough track that is virtually impossible to drive down in wet weather.

How many Nitovikla Castles, in North Cyprus?

The fortress was first excavated in 1929 by a Swedish team, who identified four different building stages of the fortress, (and who took the pottery and other finds they made there to the Medelhavsmuseet in Sweden). However, a recent re-evaluation of the evidence suggest that there was a settlement on site before the fortress was built, and that the fortress was rebuilt twice before being abandoned. There is a theory that Cyprus was affected at this time by the volcanic eruption that blew the island of Santorini apart, and this might account for the abandonment of sites such as Nitovikla Castle in North Cyprus.