St. Hilarion Castle is a structure built on the northern skirts of the Beşparmak Mountains, and you can have a bird's eye view of the fascinating view of the city of Kyrenia from the towers of the castle. Located approximately 10 km from Kyrenia, St. Hilarion Castle has a slightly difficult road in terms of transportation. The castle, which is located at an altitude of 700 meters, can be reached by climbing 480 steps.
Karaman and Lapta villages are located on the west side of the castle, and Korcamit Cape is on the horizon. Located in an area extending from fields bordered by olive trees and the slopes of these mountains to the magnificent blue waters of the Mediterranean, St. Hilarion Castle, which is the first thing everyone sees, has a cool wind. The name of the castle, which was built on a twin cape, was first encountered in 1191, and due to the increase in the number of guests visiting the Palestinian St. Hilarion who lived in the castle, the castle was converted into a monastery and took its name from this person we mentioned. Today, it is possible to come across some ruins from the old monastery period in the castle.
The Cyprus peninsula and the castles located here were once controlled by Richard the Lionhearted and in 1191 he gave St. Hilarion Castle to Guy de Lusignan.
The command room of St. Hilarion Castle passed 140 years without war and was used for the resting of Lusignan nobles with renovations. The castle encountered war again in 1373 and Prince John of Antioch fought against the Genoese here. Later, in 1489, the castle lost its former importance and value due to the Venetians coming to the island of Cyprus.
St. Hilarion Castle consists of 3 separate sections and is known as the Twins because the hill on which it is located has two ends at the top of the castle. There is a Lusignan gate in the middle entrance and there is a bridge that can be opened and closed in this section. There is a church without a dome to the right of this bridge. At the bottom; there are sections where soldiers, horses and all other materials are located. The eastern part houses the nobles, and the western part houses the daily rooms.
The visiting hours of St. Hilarion Castle are between 09:00-16:30 in summer and 09:00-16:00 in winter.