THE ‘FORGOTTEN FOURTH FORTRESS’
YOU’VE no doubt heard of the castles of St Hilarion, Buffavento and Kantara. Perched along the Girne mountain range, these formidable and unique structures – Buffavento the most commanding of them all – lay testament to centuries of history amidst the cool air, lush forestry, and the most impeccable views of the northern landscape out beyond to sea.
But have you encountered yet the fourth castle of the mountain range? A self-professed lay connoisseur of the island’s history, I was particularly aghast at the mere thought that I had gone through life unaware of the existence of another such structure. The only consolation to be had was the nagging awareness that most Turkish Cypriots, most Cypriots in general perhaps, were united in ignorance, as I at once scrambled to save face, and set about tracking down the structure as soon as humanly possible.
Castle, I found out, was perhaps a strong word. More a watchtower in fact, the site is located further west of St Hilarion, on the south-facing slope of the range as you take the ridge path up towards the infamous tank. There, elusively tucked away from the prying eyes of modern tourists and know-it-all locals; a purpose one imagines was desired in times gone by. Further down the path as it winds down one encounters the remains in question. If you take a left turn around 13km as you travel from St Hilarion west, you will encounter an equally conspicuous but no doubt more modern structure with a view of the rolling plains below facing Güzelyurt.
I then learned that a Mr Hans Doeleman from Holland (who has now sadly passed away) had previously investigated the site. Mr Doeleman taught that this “Forgotten Fourth Fortress” is to be found along an approximately 7km-long medieval road that existed between Girne and Lefkoşa. There is no signage. This makes the discovery all the more exciting, as if one were the first there, and must explain part of the site’s inconspicuousness.
The history is also unclear. Again, this makes the find all the more thrilling, as if one were now blessed with a history to be revealed. One can reason if St Hilarion, Buffavento and Kantara, surveyed the north and north-east, then this watchtower would face east and complete a series of medieval fortresses that could signal each other and a Royal Palace in Lefkoşa. I could not help but thinking of Lordof theRings here.
Mr Doeleman also alerted us to a number of other castles and fortresses that existed in the North, the details of which I allow the interested reader to discover themselves.
As for the Fourth Fortress, there is a significant portion left intact to see, as well as two caves further down as you come to the medieval path that connects to the main road from St Hilarion. A hole has been created in a portion of the stone wall from where you can enter the ruins. There is evidence to suggest that a three-storey building once existed here, with remains of dividing walls, fireplaces, and even some plasterwork. It is a delight to have found the place, which I hope will be better preserved in the future. One must salute those from abroad who have simply schooled the locals with their passion for the island’s non-political history and passion for adventure. That culture is no doubt developing in Cyprus, and one can also follow in the footsteps of the late Dr William Dreghorn, another friend of North Cyprus who again sadly passed away in 2001, but who also left a new generation of intrepid explorers invaluable knowledge to make sense of this island’s understandably rich and remarkable history.