St. Hilarion Castle – private tour to the mighty castle in Cyprus
St Hilarion Castle stands at 732m and is very well preserved. Walls and towers seem to grow randomly out of the rock, giving the castle a fairytale appearance. It is even said that Walt Disney used it as a model for the castle in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
The castle is named after a hermit who fled Palestine in the 7th century to live up here and rid the mountain of pagan demons. The story goes that the hermit was deaf and so easily resisted the seductive calls of the demons that haunted the mountain. Eventually the demons gave in and left Hilarion and the mountain alone. A Byzantine monastery and later a fortress were built around his tomb.
Because of its almost impregnable position, St Hilarion’s was one of the last castles to be taken by the Crusaders in 1191.
The fortifications were improved by the Lusignans at the end of the 16th century, and the castle was the centre of a four-year struggle with the Roman Emperor Frederick II for control of the island, until he was defeated in 1232. For the next 140 years, the castle was furnished with magnificent royal apartments and used as a summer residence. It was also used as a refuge when the plague struck the island in 1349. It is estimated that between a quarter and half of the Cypriot population died.
In 1373, during the Genoese invasion, the castle regained military importance as a refuge for the minor king Peter II. His uncle and regent, John of Antioch, had his bodyguard of Bulgarian mercenaries, suspected of being traitors by his hostile sister-in-law, thrown down one by one from the castle’s highest tower. Without his protection, John, implicated in the murder of Eleanor’s husband, was lured to dine with Eleanor in Nicosia, where he was immediately taken away.
When the Venetians came to power in 1489, they relied on Kyrenia, Nicosia and Famagusta to defend the island and abandoned St Hilarion.
Although the Venetians considered the fortress obsolete, it regained importance in 1964 when the besieged Turkish Cypriots used it as the headquarters of their main enclave, which included several Turkish Cypriot communities on the main road between Kyrenia and Nicosia. A small garrison of youth activists was able to repel EOKA’s attacks on the castle, and the Turkish Cypriots subsequently retained control.
The castle played a role again in 1974, when it was at the centre of a battle for control of this important pass between north and south Cyprus.
The most popular part of the castle is the elegant gallery with two fantastic Gothic windows, one of which still has intact stone sills. Queen Eleanor looked out over her kingdom from here and it is known as the ‚Queen’s Window‘. Those who climb the uneven steps to the south summit are rewarded with magnificent views. On a rocky outcrop is Prince John’s Tower, built in the 14th century, where Prince John’s bodyguard is said to have met their end.
Would you like to explore the gigantic fortress with its towers and walls? With our combined tour St. Hilarion / Bellapais you can get a perfect impression of the Middle Ages in Cyprus with your private guide.
Are you only interested in St. Hilarion Castle or would you like to book a combined tour of St. Hilarion and the city of Kyrenia, for example? No problem. In this case, click the top button left or just send a short email to service@sancytours.com and we will send you an offer immediately.
Author: Jürgen Derichs am 5. Mrz 2024 14:53, category: Best places at Cyprus to visit, comments per feed RSS 2.0, comments closed.