Famagusta, also known by several other names, is a city located in the Famagusta District on the eastern coast of the island of Cyprus. The district is mostly controlled by Northern Cyprus but some remains in the Republic of Cyprus. It is located east of the capital, Nicosia, and possesses the island's deepest harbour. 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 Silk Road merchants carried their goods to Western Europe.