So yesterday we took the bus to Tel Aviv and then walked the promenade to Jaffa to visit the old and new parts of the city.  Today we went into Herzliya for "made in Israel" Naot sandals for Randal and me.  Linda and Charmaine got a part for their stove that was lots cheaper here, but we were out of luck looking for propane for our cooking stove.  Israel only sells butane so we’ll have to see how that will work.  Tomorrow we’ll take a walk to the Apollonia Park with findings back to 5000 B.C.  I am taking photos everywhere we go and eventually you’ll see them..probably when we get to some other country and I have time.  So for now we’re back in North Cyprus.

Ru

Morning photo from Heidi’s Kitchen

We arrived Wednesday in Heidi and Kalle’s house.  Thursday morning was Heidi’s life drawing group so everyone was up early,  we to go off adventuring and Heidi to prepare for her group.  I so wish I could have been both place!

Our first stop was St. Hilarion Castle.

“Just west of the main Girne Lofkosa road, in the Besparmak mountains, you will find the most westerly of the three Crusader castles of Kantara, Buffevento and St Hilarion. At 732 meters, St Hilarion is at the middle height of the three. It is, however by far the best preserved. The walls and towers appear to sprout off the rocks almost at random, giving the castle a fairy tale look. Indeed it is said to have inspired Walt Disney to use it as a design for the castle in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The Gatehouse

The castle is named after a little known hermit who fled Palestine during the 7th century to live and die up here, purging the mountain of pagan demons. It is said that the hermit was stone deaf, so was able to resist the tempting cries of the demons who stalked the mountains with ease. The demons finally admitted defeat, and left Hilarion and the mountain in peace. A Byzantine monastery, and later a fort sprang up around his tomb

Owing to its near impregnability, St Hilarion was one of the last castles taken by the crusaders in 1191. The fortifications were improved by the Lusignans during the early 13th century, and the castle was the focus of a four year struggle with the Holy roman Emperor Frederick II for control of the island till he was defeated in 1232. Over the next 140 years, sumptuous royal apartments were added so that the castle became a summer residence. It also served as a place of escape in 1349 when the Black Death swept the island, and estimated numbers of the dead range from one quarter to one half of the entire population.

The castle’s Byzantine church

In 1373, during the Genoese invasion, the castle again became militarily important as the retreat of the under-age King Peter II. His uncle and regent, John of Antioch, mislead by his hostile sister-in-law into believing his bodyguard of Bulgarian mercenaries were treasonous, had them thrown one at a time from the highest tower of the castle. Without his protection, John, who had been implicated in the murder of Eleanor’s husband, was lured to supper with Eleanor in Nicosia where he was, in turn, promptly dispatched.

When the Venetians took over in 1489, they relied on Kyrenia, Nicosia and Famagusta for the defense of the island, and they abandoned St Hilarion and her two sister castles.

Although the Venetians considered the castle obsolete, it came to prominence again in 1964, when the beleaguered Turkish Cypriots used it as the headquarters of their main enclave which included several Turkish Cypriot communities straddling the main Kyrenia Nicosia road. A small garrison of teenage activists was able to fend off EOKA attacks on the castle, and the Turkish Cypriots remained in control thereafter. The castle again played its part in 1974 when it was at the centre of a battle for control of this important pass between north and south Cyprus.

Although St Hilarion is now very much open to the public, the approach road passes through a military area, so is very occasionally closed for access.

The Queen’s Window

The first part of the castle you will come across is the main gate and outer walls, built by the Byzantines in the 11th century. As the path climbs, it passes a still usable cistern and the stables. The first dramatic structure you come across will be the main gatehouse with its arch, which originally closed with a drawbridge. Along the passage you will come across the sizable castle chapel. It is built of bricks and stone blocks, and in danger of collapse, was restored in 1959. Traces of ancient religious paintings are visible, their style pointing to around 1150. However the church is considered far too large for a castle garrison, and it is thought that the Byzantine building is a restoration of a monastery, founded around 800. The area round the castle was originally part of this monastery, and the rooms to the north and east of it were the cellars, kitchen and refectory. Below this is a further series of rooms thought to be barracks for the crusader knights of the 14th century.

Passing through the crusader archway, you will find yourself in the main courtyard. To your right are what remains of the royal kitchens and waiting rooms. At the furthest end are the royal apartments, reached by following the small path through the undergrowth.

The courtyard of the upper castle rests under the natural protection of twin summits. The Lusignans called it the "Dieu d’Amor". Romantics see the name as a reference to the legend of the ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite, who has strong links with the island. However it is more likely to be a French corruption of the original Byzantine name for the fort, Didymus, the Greek word for "twin".

The richest and most popular part of the castle is the elegant gallery with its two fantastic gothic windows, one with stone window seats intact. This is where queen Eleanor surveyed her kingdom, and is known as the Queen’s Window. If you can manage a further climb up the uneven steps to the southern peak, you will be further rewarded with more superb views. Off the main courtyard, you will find the 14th century Prince John’s tower standing on a rocky promontory. It was here that Prince John’s bodyguard are reputed to have met their end.

http://www.whatson-northcyprus.com/interest/kyrenia/st_hilarion.htm

We arrived bright and early…but there was no one to let us in!

A guard at the gate…who eventually licked my fingers.

Time to open and time for food!

And time for play!

But the real boss of the place.

A pile of rock with a castle on top.

The views were worth the walking up.

Thankfully St Hilarion is not Disney Cyprus, but rather a place you can still use your imagination.

Almost 1,000 years separates them: our clothing has changed a great deal even if our behaviors haven’t.

Kitchens, workshops, apartments, latrines were all located within the castle high up the mountain.

So, where’re we going?

Up was always the answer, but the views were spectacular from the tallest tower.

The open green spaces at the foot of the mountain is the military base.

We all made it and have the photos to prove it.

Then it was back down for a drive along the ridge back down into the valley and a quest to Kozankôy for cheese.