6000 x 4000 px | 50,8 x 33,9 cm | 20 x 13,3 inches | 300dpi
Data acquisizione:
16 aprile 2016
Ubicazione:
NORTH CYPRUS
Altre informazioni:
The Saint Hilarion Castle lies on the Kyrenia mountain range, in Cyprus near Kyrenia. 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 others being Kantara and Buffavento. Saint Hilarion was originally a monastery, named after a monk who allegedly chose the site for his hermitage, with a monastery and a church built there in the 10th century. Starting in the 11th century, the Byzantines began fortification. Saint Hilarion formed the defense of the island with the castles of Buffavento and Kantara against Arab pirates raiding the coast. Some sections were further upgraded under the Lusignan rule, who 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.
