Lemnos Byzantine Castle

Location: Myrina

The Medieval Castle of Myrina in Lemnos: The impressive Castle of Myrina is a Byzantine fortification positioned on the highest point above Myrina Town, the capital of Lemnos island. The construction of this castle was commanded in 1186 AD by the Byzantine emperor Andronicus Komnenos, on the site of an earlier ancient fortification. The construction of the castle was continued by the Venetians in the 13th century when they conquered the island. The Castle of Myrina took its present form in 1207-1214, by the Venetian Filocalo Navigajiosi, the Great Duke of Lemnos.

During the Ottoman rule, the Turks live inside the castle, where you can see today the remains of a mosque. In 1770, serious damages were caused to the castle by the Russian fleet who had tried to free Myrina from the Turks. The Castle of Myrina has one entrance to the east side, the only point which connects it to the land. Inside the walls, there are cisterns, remains of houses and an underground vaulted room. Today, this castle is uninhabited, but it is the refuge of 200 deer. The locals provide them with food and water. To go to the castle, you walk a path for about 20 minutes.