Kyrenia

Kyrenia is a city on the northern coast of Cyprus, noted for its historic harbor and castle, currently under the control of the de facto state of Northern Cyprus, which unilaterally declared independence in 1983 but is recognized only by Turkey; Cyprus remains the de jure sovereign state. Greek mythology attributes its founding to the Achaeans Cepheus and Praxandrus after the Trojan War, who named it for their home city in Achaea; Romans laid the foundations of the castle in the 1st century AD, Venetians modified the fortifications in the 15th century, and Ottoman rule began in 1571. Following the Turkish military intervention of 1974, about 2,650 Greek Cypriot residents fled or were displaced, and the population is now predominantly Turkish and Turkish Cypriot, numbering roughly 22,148 in the city and 45,881 across the municipality. Kyrenia functions as the tourism capital of Northern Cyprus, with hotels, nightlife, festivals and three universities enrolling about 14,000 students.