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Like the Buffavento and the Kantara Castles, St. Hilarion Castle was built so as to defend the island against the Arab raids. A monastery and a church were built here in the 10th century. The first references to the St. Hilarion castle are found in the 1191 records. For some time it was of strategic importance, but later the St. Hilarion Castle became the summer resort of the Lusignan nobility.
The St. Hilarion castle has three parts. The parapets for the defence of the main entrance were fortified by the Byzantines in the 11th century. The lower section of the castle was being used for the soldiers and the 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. There is a courtyard in the middle. The nobility used to live in the Eastern section, the kitchen and the other rooms for daily use were in the western section.
Location: Kyrenia (Girne) Bogaz, Northern Cyprus |
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