3/5 Andy N. 1 year ago on Google
An
historical
building
in
Famagusta,
famous
for
being
the
temporary
abode
of
influential
Turkish
writer
Namik
Kemal.
Known
as
the
Shakespeare
of
Turkish
literature,
Kemal
spent
38
months
imprisoned
here,
between
1873
and
1876.
Seen
as
a
potential
revolutionary
and
threat,
he
was
exiled
by
Sultan
Abdulaziz
in
1873
after
the
first
performance
of
his
play
‘Vatan
yahut
Silistre’
(Fatherland
or
Silistria)
a
drama
centred
on
the
Siege
of
Silistria.
The
play
was
considered
dangerous
by
the
government
as
it
promoted
nationalism
and
liberalism.
The
building
Kemal
was
exiled
to
was
originally
part
of
the
Venetian
Palazzo
del
Proveditore
but
the
jail
building
as
it
currently
stands
was
built
during
the
Ottoman
era,
in
a
corner
of
the
ruined
palace.
The
building
has
two
floors.
The
lower
displays
pre-Ottoman
Lusignan
architecture
and
the
upper
is
distinctly
Ottoman
in
style.
The
building
is
L-shape
with
the
lower
floor
made
of
ashlar
stone,
and
the
upper
floor
built
using
lath
and
plaster.
The
ground
floor,
with
only
one
vaulted
cell
is
rectangular
shaped
and
has
a
low
arched
entrance
door
and
barred
window
which
opens
onto
the
courtyard
of
the
Venetian
Palace.
Although
described
as
a
dungeon,
it's
not
underground.
When
Namik
Kemal
came
to
Famagusta,
he
first
stayed
on
the
ground
floor.
Notes
found
described
his
initial
cell
as
too
dark
and
unsuitable
for
living.
It
was
just
over
10
squares
metres
with
no
furnishings
(where
would
you
put
them?!)
.
He
was
transferred
to
the
floor
above
with
permission
of
the
Cyprus
Governor,
Veysi
Pasha.
Steep
stone
stairs
at
the
side
of
the
building
lead
to
this
storey
which
has
two
large
windows,
a
landing
at
the
front
and
marbled
flooring.
When
Abdulaziz
was
dethroned,
Namik
Kemal
was
pardoned
by
Murad
V
and
returned
to
Constantinople
in
1876.
He
penned
his
plays
‘Gulnihal’
and
‘Akif
Bey’
while
imprisoned
here.
Restoration
of
the
dungeon
in
the
1990's
into
a
museum
contains
many
of
his
belongings
and
documents.
The
same
dungeon
was
also
reportedly
used
by
the
British
during
the
First
World
War.
A
bronze
bust
of
Namik
Kemal
faces
the
square
named
after
him,
across
from
the
dungeon.
The
founder
of
the
Republic
of
Türkiye,
Mustafa
Kemal
Ataturk,
referred
to
Namik
Kemal’s
works
as
a
major
source
of
inspiration,
and
today
he
still
enjoys
the
status
of
a
literary
hero
for
many
in
Türkiye
and
North
Cyprus
alike.
1 person found this review helpful 👍
