Kyrenia: Saint Hilarion Castle, Kyrenia Castle, and Bellapais Abbey

Today, Saturday, February 2nd all 74 of us crossed over the "green line" into the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) of also known as the occupied side. This part of Cyprus is NOT recognized by any other country in the world except Turkey. (What a shock!) We first went to Old Nicosia on the occupied side and saw the Venetian Walls, Attaturk Square, The Bouyouk Han (Great Khan or inn), St. Sophia Cathedral and The Municipal Market. For pictures and details about Old Nicosia on the Occupied Side see the blog entry. This one is all for KYRENIA! WE visited three major places in Kyrenia, Saint Hilarion Castle, Kyrenia Castle, and Bellapais Abbey.

The City of Kyrenia

Kyrenia was the most picturesque of all Cypriot towns up until July 1974 when its inhabitants were forced out by the invading Turkish troops. Kyrenia was founded by Achaean colonists in the 10th century B.C., later to become a city state. But it was not of great importance in the overall political structure of the island until it was fortified by Byzantium. The castle that dates from this time was strengthened and enlarged by the succeeding Lusignan and Venetian rulers. Despite having a history longer than that of any of the other five towns, Kyrenia did not act as a market center for the region because Nicosia is only 15 miles away. Kyrenia had a population of only 5,000 people in 1970. It was best known to the English community and it was the favored retirement place for ex-colonial administrators and servicemen.

Saint Hilarion Castle

The castle is named after St. Hilarion, a hermit monk who fled the holy land

and lived and died in a cave on the mountain. Later in the 10th century, the Byzantines built a church and monastery here.  The castle was originally built as a watch tower for the approaching Arab raids on Cyprus from the 7th  to the 10th centuries. It then became a refuge and summer residence for the Lusignans. The castle consists of three wards on different altitudes, each with  cisterns and storage rooms. The first and lowest accommodated the garrison and the horses. The middle consisted of a church, barrack rooms, and a 4-story royal apartment. The upper castle, under the protection of the twin peaks (Didymos), had the royal apartments on the west end with the two  Gothic windows and the Tower of Prince John of Antioch.

Kyrenia Castle

The castle is situated on the Northeast side of the Kyrenia harbor. The first reference to the castle is in 1191 when Richard the Lionheart, on his  way to the Third Crusade, captured it defeating Isaac Komnenos of Cyprus. The castle was sold first to the Templar Knights and then to Guy de Lusignan who kept it for 300 years. The castle was enlarged between 1209 and 1211 and destroyed during the Genoese raids in 1373. By 1489, the Venetians took control of the island and enlarged the castle with thick walls embracing the Tower and the church of St. George, built by the Byzantines in 1100.During the British rule, the castle was used as a prison and a police academy. While visiting the castle, you may notice the:  (1)  church of St.George, (2)  the remains of an ancient ship dating back to 300 B.C., (3)  the Lusignan Tower (northeast) and the Venetian Tower(southeast), and (4) the Dungeons and various other exhibits

Bellapais Abbey

The name means the Abbey of Peace (Abbaye de la Paix). The building is a fine example of Gothic architecture. Construction started at the end of the  12th century when the Augustinian monks were expelled from Jerusalem and the complex was completed in 1359. With the Ottoman conquest in 1570, the monastary was given to the Greek Orthodox. The church dates from the

13th century. The refectory is the finest room in the monastery with a pulpit,

six windows in the north and a rose window in the eastern wall. The east side contains the chapter house and the work rooms while the rooms for the monks are on the 2nd floor.

Alright i know that was a lot of information for all of you guys to endure, but these places are so historical and amazing, I had to include it!!!! The weather was perfect yesterday for being in the mountains and walking around. It was wonderful and the views amazing!!!!!

It was hilarious all of us Americans walking around, everyone was staring and we looked like idiots, but it was part of the experience and a lot of fun! :) Looking at the mountains and the sea at the same time was unbelievable. I loved it so much!

We came back after a long day and everyone just went home and chilled. Our friend Joe made peach pies and asked us to come over but we are saving that for our lazy Sunday since everything is closed on Sundays.

Class starts tomorrow, I'm so excited. This is a wonderful place but if I didnt have something to do daily, I would get bored...haha I'm definitly not used to this island time yet. This trip will be perfect for me and a great way to relax and just go with the flow. It's a good step back from my normal crazy busy life and a great way to end college.

I hope everyone is doing great! I miss all of you, and dont worry there wont be as many entries once class starts because no one wants to hear about that, but I'll probably do one once a week and add pictures and what not of everyone and places we go out! Love ya!