The Ottoman conquest of Cyprus between 1570 and 1571 was a critical milestone in their enduring struggle to dominate the Eastern Mediterranean and secure vital maritime routes. The Republic of Venice had held the strategically vital island since 1489. The Ottoman invasion commenced in July 1570, and Nicosia fell quickly after a two-month siege. Conversely, the heavily fortified port of Famagusta endured a grueling, bloody eleven-month siege before starvation forced its surrender in August 1571. After the surrender, the Ottomans flayed Famagusta’s Venetian commander alive. This atrocity outraged Catholic Europe, prompting the formation of the Holy League. Fueled by vengeance and the need to halt Ottoman naval supremacy, the League's fleet decisively crushed the Ottoman armada at the Battle of Lepanto in October 1571, though Cyprus itself remained under Ottoman control.