Famagusta, also known by several other names, is a city located in the Famagusta District of the same name on the eastern coast of Cyprus, currently controlled by the de facto republic of Northern Cyprus. It is located east of the capital, Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. During the Middle Ages, Famagusta was the island's most important port city and a gateway to trade with the ports of the Levant, from where the Silk Road merchants carried their goods to Western Europe.