Castle of Mytilene

The Castle of Mytilene covers an area of around 60 acres and stands as one of the largest castles in the Mediterranean. Its present-day form is the result of the constructive activity of the Gattilusi family who dominated the island during the period 1355-1462, and of the Ottomans who conquered Lesbos from 1462 to 1912.  From the Byzantine period, only three parts survive: a small Byzantine gate on the northern side of the walls, the eastern wall of the main fortified enclosure, and the tank in the middle castle. Its layout follows the peninsula’s morphology. It is divided into three sections: the Upper, Middle, and Lower Castle.