The door of the cell opens onto the palace courtyard, and the room is rectangular in shape, located on the top floor. The great name of our literature, Namık Kemal, was exiled to Northern Cyprus on April 9, 1873, after his play “Vatan yahut Silistre”, which he wrote on April 5, 1873, was staged at the “İstanbul Gedik Paşa Theater”. At the beginning of his exile, he was locked in the cold and gloomy underground floor of the dungeon. However, on the initiative of the Governor of Cyprus, Veyis Pasha, he was granted permission to move to the upper floor, which was more livable. Namık Kemal was granted amnesty by Sultan V. Murat on June 3, 1876 and returned to Istanbul.
Both the restoration work of the Namık Kemal Dungeon and the landscaping were meticulously carried out by the Research and Restoration Office of the Department of Antiquities and Museums in 1993 before it was opened to the public.
Important features of the Namık Kemal Dungeon:
- The place where Namık Kemal was exiled between 1873-1876.
- Located in a corner of the Venetian Palace, which is located inside the Famagusta Castle.
- The dungeon is located on the top floor of a two-storey building.
- The cell is rectangular and has a single window.
- The dungeon was restored and turned into a museum in 1993.
If you are planning to visit the Namık Kemal Dungeon:
- You can also visit the dungeon by paying the entrance fee to Famagusta Castle.
- Some of Namık Kemal’s belongings and documents are also exhibited in the dungeon.
- The dungeon is one of the important historical and touristic places of Cyprus.
The Namık Kemal Dungeon is an important place for history and literature lovers in Cyprus. We recommend you to visit this place to better understand Namık Kemal’s life in exile and his struggle.
