The towers
On the rocks.
Zairon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zairon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Josef Moser — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Josef Moser — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Don Christie — CC BY-SA 4.0
Saint Hilarion Castle is a castle on a rocky peak in the Kyrenia mountains in the north of Cyprus, commanding the mountain road between Kyrenia and Nicosia. It is the best preserved of the three castles in these mountains, with Kantara and Buffavento. It is named after a hermit who, tradition says, fled to Cyprus after the Arab conquest of the Holy Land and retired to this hilltop. The Byzantines began fortifying it in the 11th century, and with the other two castles it formed a line of defence against raids from the sea. The Lusignans later enlarged it, and their kings may have used it as a summer residence. You see stone walls and towers climbing sharp grey rocks as if part of the mountain itself, among green pines. A long stair climbs through the castle's three stepped levels, and from the top a wide view opens over Kyrenia, the coast and the sea. It is about 4 km from Kyrenia in a straight line, and the climb to the top is by steep steps. Visitors from the south cross at the checkpoints with a passport, and the Republic of Cyprus treats entry through the north's airport as illegal entry.
On the rocks.
Three levels.
Over the coast.
Kyrenia mountains, west of Kyrenia, north of Cyprus
Kantara and Buffavento.
Through the crossing points with a passport; the Republic of Cyprus treats entry via the north's airport as illegal.