The castle of
Kyrenia had already fallen, and the wife, daughter, and treasures of
Isaac Comnenus fell into the hands of the victorious English, led by the
gallant Guy de Lusignan in the absence of Richard I., who was at that
time incapacitated through illness, which detained him at Lefkosia. This
fortification was probably the original defence of the town, and could
have had no relation to the present work, which is of a far later date,
and was constructed specially for an armament of heavy guns.
Captain Savile (101st Royal Irish), in his admirable compilation from
all the principal works that have been written upon Cyprus, states:--
"Richard was now able to turn his thoughts to his
neglected crusade; he returned to Limasol, and sent
Isaac's daughter, with his own wife and sister, on before
him to St. Jean d'Acre. On 5th June, 1191, Richard
himself sailed from Cyprus, leaving the island
in charge of Richard de Canville and Robert de
Turnham, with injunctions to keep the army in Syria
well provided with provisions.
"Isaac was placed in silver fetters and taken with
King Richard to Syria, where he was handed over to
the Hospitallers, since Knights of Rhodes, for safe
custody, and was by them confined in the Castle of
Margat, near Tripoli, where he died shortly afterwards.
