Nicosia: Three Gates, Eleven Bastions

The threat of Ottoman expansion meant that Cyprus was in danger during the Venetian control of the island. In order to tighten control and security, Venice sent the military architect and engineer Giulio Savorgnano to Cyprus to build a new fortification around Nicosia.

Built between 1567 and 1570, the gates and bastions served as critical defence against an imminent Ottoman invasion.

The three gates represent a division of the island's geography. Each gate was named for and directed toward a major regional destination (Kyrenia, Paphos, Famagusta).

Famagusta Gate (Porta Giuliana) is the largest and most imposing of the three original entrances to the old city of Nicosia. It was named Porta Giuliana to honour Savorgnano.

Paphos Gate (Porta San Domenico) is the smallest gate and still retains its original wooden doors. It is named after the nearby Lusignan Abbey of San Domenico, which was destroyed during the wall's construction.

Kyrenia Gate is located in northern Nicosia. It was originally named Porta del Proveditore after the Venetian governor Francesco Barbaro. The Ottomans renamed it "Edirne Gate" and added a second domed guard house for extra security. They also inscribed verses from the Quran on the northern face, praising Allah as the "Opener of Gates" (1821).

To accommodate modern traffic, the British demolished sections of the city wall on either side of the gate, leaving the structure isolated in the middle of the dual carriageway. The inscriptions marked "1931" and "GVRI" (George V Rex et Imperator). The gate is unique for displaying markers from three different empires, Venetian Latin, Ottoman Arabic and British English.

The three gates reflect the Renaissance 'Ideal City' philosophy which valued geometric perfection and balance. 

The eleven bastions are split between the northern and southern parts of divided Nicosia, with one, the Flatro Bastion, split between both sides and is occupied by the United Nations. The number eleven was strategic and symbolic and reflects the eleven administrative districts (or contrade) of Cyprus at the time. They form a pentagonal, heart shape which was a hallmark of Renaissance military architecture. They allowed for overlapping fields of fire to better protect against artillery and cannon fire. They replaced the older, larger Frankish walls that wouldn't be able to be defended. They were named after eleven noble families who sponsored their construction. The Pedieos River was diverted into a new moat.