St Hilarion Castle

To reach St Hilarion castle from Kyrenia, drive south toward Nicosia. As the road climbs into the mountains, and just before it gets to the top of the pass and begins it’s descent, follow the signpost off to the right. A side road snakes up through a military camp for about 3km past a large statue of a soldier in battledress at its entrance. The firing range on the left was once the site for medieval tournaments. Go up the sharp hill and you arrive at a small car park outside the castle gate. It takes about 20 minutes to get there from Kyrenia, but remember you’re in a restricted military area so don’t stop or take photos.
Setting
Of the three magnificent castles in the Kyrenia mountains, by far the most accessible, popular and most complete is St Hilarion, one of the best-preserved Crusader Castles. Dramatically sited on a rocky crag with elegantly ruined turrets, towers and windows, writer Dame Rose Macaulay described it as a “picture-book castle for elf kings” and it inspired the fairy-tale castles of King Ludwig in Bavaria and Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom.
In spring when the wild flowers bloom, the views from the snack bar are to die for. St Hilarion appeals to those with an interest in history and those seeking spectacular views, because on a clear day you can see all the way to the Turkish mainland. Stout shoes and refreshments are definitely required.
Brief history
The castle was named after St Hilarion, an obscure 4th century Syrian hermit monk, who fled from persecution in the Holy Land and lived and died in a cave on Mount Didymus (“Twin peaks”). Extremely self-disciplined, Hilarion reputedly never washed and built a following by banishing demons and performing miracles. The monastery’s strategic position, commanding the pass through the Kyrenia mountains and overlooking the northern coastal plain, was not lost on the Byzantines, who built a church and monastery here. Facing repeated Arab raids, they converted it into a castle, probably sometime in the 8th century AD and The French Lusignans improved and strengthened it in the 13th century.
Along with Kantara and Buffavento castles, it was built as a watchtower to warn of pirates who raided Cyprus and the coasts of Anatolia. The first references to the castle are found in 1191 records and it remained strategically important for a while. until it became the summer resort of the French Lusignan nobility. Most of what you see today was built in 1228 by John d’Ibelin and it became not only a military stronghold but also a palace for the Lusignans nicknamed “Dieu d’Amour”, loosely translated as Cupid’s Castle. This was the castle’s heyday with tournaments, knights and courtly intrigue, especially under the rule of King Peter I and Queen Eleanor of Aragon. It continued to be a castle of importance during the latter Lusignan period, but when the Venetians took over in 1489 it fell into disrepair and became the ruin it is now.
The Castle
The castle has three parts. Parapets for the defence of the main entrance were fortified by the Byzantines in the 11th century; the lower section of the castle was used to billet soldiers and their horses; and the middle section contained the royal palace, kitchen, church and a big cistern. At the entrance to the castle in the upper section, there’s a Lusignan Gate with a courtyard in the middle. The panoramic view of Northern Cyprus from the Queen’s Gothic style window on the second floor of the royal apartments is superb and well worth the climb.
Inside
The castle entrance includes a barbican leading to a large outer bailey, originally built by the Byzantines. Go right for the first of the spectacular views, then continue upwards along the “Main Road” . You’ll see as you climb a watchtower and to your left an impressive curtain wall that rises steeply to the upper parts of the castle. This outer bailey was where peasants and livestock could be withdrawn when the castle was under attack. The castle stables are now used as a small visitor centre, offering sketches and information about the Lusignans. Beyond the stables, the path winds steeply upwards to the tunnel-like gate of what is described as the “second section”. It’s a warren of alleys, buildings and rooms opening off a central tunnel, some of which were part of the original 10th century monastery. To the right is the monastery church now open to the elements, but with a well-preserved apse. North of here is the Great Hall, now home to the Café Lusignan. Along one side of the hall is a wooden balcony hanging over a staggering view of the coast below.
On a clear day you can see Turkey, some 100km away. Beyond the hall are a group of rooms which serviced it – kitchen, buttery and privies – and a belvedere, a shaded vaulted terrace with picnic tables and arches and more of those superb views. Left of the hall are more workaday rooms and the castle governor’s quarters, which contain displays with mannequins, illustrating medieval life. Continuing along the path which tunnels through these rooms, right takes you to the barracks and Royal Apartments and left goes up to the third section. A very large cistern appears to have been built rather than carved out of the rock and then a path, partly steps, partly rock-strewn tracks, soars upwards. Just before you reach the top, a left fork leads to the isolated Prince John’s Tower, where several of John’s Bulgarian mercenaries were murdered. Turning right instead of following the path to Prince John’s Tower brings you to the main gate of the Upper Ward. Through the gate are a Byzantine tower, a kitchen, a cistern and a group of subsidiary buildings. Beyond them are a further set of Royal Apartments and the famous Queen’s Window, at which Queen Eleanor is said to have sat. From here glorious views to the west open out, with, in the foreground, the village of Karmi. All that remains to be seen is the Western Tower and the Zirve (summit) of the mountain, marked with a sign: “732m – Congratulations! You are at the peak”.
Prince John
On January 17, 1369, Peter I, King of Cyprus was stabbed to death as he slept in his palace in Nicosia, supposedly by three of his own knights. He was succeeded by his son, Peter II. Queen Eleanor, now the Queen Mother, became convinced that her husband had been killed on the orders of Peter’s brother, Prince John. Despite rumours of her infidelity in the king’s absence, she vowed to avenge his murder. John had taken up residence in St Hilarion Castle, which he held with a force of Bulgarian mercenaries, while Peter’s other brother James, held Kyrenia. A Genoese invasion, possibly at Eleanor’s instigation, led, in 1374, to the surrender of Kyrenia, and James ended up as a prisoner in Genoa. Eleanor now turned her attention to John. Having persuaded him that all was forgiven, she warned the prince that his Bulgarian forces were planning to overthrow him. John responded by throwing several of them to their deaths from Prince John’s Tower. Eleanor’s accusations were almost certainly untrue and a Machiavellian-type plan aimed at bringing him closer and weakening him. The drama concluded when Eleanor invited John to dine with her and the young king in Nicosia. They ate in the very room where Peter I was murdered and, when the final dish arrived, she dramatically flung back the cloth to reveal her dead husband’s blood-stained shirt. This was the signal for retainers to appear and stab Prince John to death in his turn.
Unmissable
St Hilarion Castle often features in publicity for North Cyprus and it’s really easy to see why. As you wind your way up the mountain pass, the castle stays hidden but as you approach the car park the castle suddenly reveals itself, merged almost impossibly into the side of the mountain in the most dramatic fashion. Visiting St Hilarion is absolutely unmissable. Despite the best efforts of the Venetians, much of the castle is intact and it is a truly breath-taking sight to behold from every single angle. Thanks to its mountaintop location, the views of the Mediterranean coastline, Kyrenia, and beyond, are jaw-dropping.