KANTARA CASTLE

Located on Mount Kavallaropetra, 630 m above sea level, this castle (Kantara Kalesi, Κάστρο της Καντάρας/Kastro tis Kantaras) offers magnificent views over much of Cyprus, the Turkish coast (90 km to the north) and, in winter, the peaks of Lebanon (160 km to the east). Now in ruins, the building was erected in the ^10th century by the Byzantines to counter the Arabs. Its name, however, comes from the Arabic qantara ("bridge"), which indicates that it commanded the pass of today's village of Kantara. Together with the castles of Buffavento and Saint-Hilarion, it formed the defensive line of the Pentadactylos. During the attempted Genoese invasion of 1373, Prince Jean de Lusignan made it his refuge. Later, his brother Pierre ^I reinforced the fortifications. But the Venetians and Ottomans abandoned the castle, which fell into ruin until it was restored in 1914. After the main gate, the path leads to the large north-east and south-east towers, then on to a succession of rooms with Gothic vaults and a guardhouse with loopholes... and latrines. Other towers, latrines and rooms in ruins follow. Legend has it that there were 101 halls in the castle, and that whoever found the door to the ^101st hall would enter paradise. At the top, you can enjoy a 360° view. Here stands the top tower, where a fire was lit when a suspicious vessel was spotted offshore. This signal was used to warn the château de Buffavento to the west, which in turn lit a fire to warn the garrison of Saint-Hilarion.