The Only Entrance From The Land Side Is At The South-West
Corner; This Is Exceedingly Striking, As The Fosse Is About 140 Feet
Wide, The Scarp And Counter-Scarp Almost Perpendicular, Being Cut From
The Original Rock.
A narrow stone bridge upon arches spans this peculiar ditch, the
communication depending upon a double drawbridge and portcullis.
Immediately facing the entrance outside the fortress is an old Turkish
churchyard, through and above which the closed masonry aqueduct is
conducted into the town.
Following the course of the aqueduct along a
straight line of sandy heights which somewhat resemble a massive railway
embankment, we arrived at a mosque in which is the venerated tomb of the
Turkish soldier who first planted the flag upon the walls of Famagousta
when captured, in 1571, from the Venetians. This tomb is in a small
chamber within the building and is covered with green silk, embroidered;
but as the city was never taken by assault, and capitulated upon
honourable terms after a protracted defence, the fact of establishing
the Turkish flag upon the walls after their evacuation by the garrison
would hardly have entitled the standard-bearer to a Victoria Cross;
however he may have otherwise distinguished himself, which entailed
post-mortem honours, perhaps by skinning alive the gallant Venetian
commandant Bragadino, whose skin, stuffed with straw, was taken in
triumph to Constantinople hanging at the yard-arm of the victorious
general's ship.
Quitting the mosque, we continued along the aqueduct, always upon the
same sandy heights, which gradually increased, until we arrived at a
position about 200 yards from a windmill.
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