KANTARA Castle is 600 metres above sea level, overlooking the Cilician coast of what is now Turkey on one side, and an extensive agricultural plain on the other.
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| Kantara Castle stands in splendid isolation |
Historians are unsure as to when it was built, but it probably began as a watch tower in Byzantine times, possibly after Muslim conquerors were expelled in 965.
It was captured by Richard the Lionheart in 1191 and was later expanded by the French house of Lusignan.
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| Earlier rule by the Knights Templar was ended by a popular revolt, and this may have caused subsequent rulers to expand Kantara's fortifications |
After Venice bought the island in 1489, Kantara was declared militarily obsolete and finally abandoned in 1525.
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| Obsolete, but still impressive |
The climb to the top is worth it for the views alone, as well as the chance to look at medieval architecture up close.
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| Not much danger of being hit when shooting from this arrowslit, but not much of a field-of-fire either |
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| The Turkish coast can just be made out in the centre-right distance |
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| Looking inland to the south |
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| Looking from the seaside village of Kaplica to Kantara Castle in the centre background |
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