Saint Hilarion Castle​

The Saint Hilarion Castle lies on the Kyrenia mountain range, in Cyprus. This location provided the castle with command of the pass road from Kyrenia to Nicosia. It is the best-preserved ruin of the three former strongholds in the Kyrenia mountains, the other two being Kantara and Buffavento. Contrary to the belief, the castle is not named after the Saint active in Palestine and Cyprus in the 4th century, but after a hermit monk who fled from persecution in the Holy Land and lived and died in a cave in the mountains.

The Saint Hilarion Castle was named after an obscure saint, who is traditionally held to have fled to Cyprus after the Arab conquest of the Holy Land and retired to the hilltop on which the castle was built for a hermitage. An English traveler reported the preservation of his relics in the 14th century. Starting in the 11th century, the Byzantines began fortification. Saint Hilarion, together with the castles of Buffavento and Kantara, formed the defense of the island against Arab raids against the coast. Some sections were further upgraded under the Lusignan dynasty, whose kings may have used it as a summer residence. During the rule of Lusignans, the castle was the focus of a four-year struggle between Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and Regent John d' Ibelin for control of Cyprus.

The parapets for the defense of the main entrance were fortified by the Byzantines in the 11th century with the lower section of the castle being used for billeting soldiers and their horses. The middle section contained the royal palace, the kitchen, the church, and a big cistern. At the entrance to the castle in the upper section, there is a Lusignan Gate with a courtyard in the middle.
The panoramic view from the “Queen’s Window”, carved in its Gothic style on the second floor of the royal apartments, is superb and well worth the climb a scenic view of the northern coast of NCY, especially the plains of Lapithos. Reputedly the inspiration for Walt Disney’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’, the castle offers many opportunities for both those with an interest in history and those seeking spectacular views. There are steps all the way to the very top – the ascent is steep but a handrail is ready to assist in the main.