The Legend of Five Finger Mountains By Shereena Lingiah At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

The beautiful harbour town of Kyrenia is steeped in history and legend, with the Five Finger Mountains attracting more than their fair share of myths. Depending on who you speak to on your Northern Cyprus holiday you’re likely to hear one of the two following tales:

The Conceited Villager and the Queen

Whilst on holiday in Northern Cyprus locals will often tell you the fable of the conceited villager who asked for the Queen’s hand in marriage. The disgusted Queen wished to be rid of this impertinent young man so she agreed if he brought her some water from the spring of the St. Andreas Monastery located in the Karpas. The perilous journey was certainly no Northern Cyprus holiday and the Queen doubted that the conceited villager would ever return. However, several weeks later the villager appeared in front of the Queen with a jug of the precious water. The Queen was shocked to see that the villager had succeeded but still refused to marry him. Enraged the villager poured the water into the earth, seized a handful of the resulting mud and threw it directly at the Queen’s head. The Queen ducked and the mud sailed straight past her and onto the plain of the Kyrenia Mountains, where to this day it still shows the impression of the thwarted villager’s five fingers.

Dighinis, the Byzantine Hero

You may hear an entirely different legend of the Five Finger Mountains whilst on your Northern Cyprus holiday and this will most probably refer to the Byzantine hero, Dighinis, who was forced to escape Arab invasion by fleeing from Asia Minor onto North Cyprus. When he landed his fingers left their impression on the jagged peaks of the Kyrenia Mountains and become the Five Finger Mountains which you will see whilst on holiday in Northern Cyprus.

Whichever legend you choose to believe, if indeed any, there’s no doubt that the Five Finger Mountains should be experienced whilst on your Northern Cyprus holiday. The mountains are located in the traditional harbour town of Kyrenia, but have recently become a tourist destination in their own right. They are particularly popular with hiking enthusiasts on holiday in Northern Cyprus, as the warm climate and wild flowers of the region makes the trek to the top particularly enjoyable.

The Five Finger Mountains have always been a line of defence for the island and they currently house the main base for the Turkish Army, which understandably is strictly out of bounds. However, waiting to be explored between various army bases are numerous Crusader castles. The best of which is the Kyrenia Castle, which stands at the entrance to the main harbour and was built in the 1500s. A short drive through the Five Finger Mountains allows you to visit other castles such as Buffavento and Kantara Castle.

Besides sightseeing there are numerous activities at the Five Finger Mountains that you can take part in whilst on your Northern Cyprus holiday. The Catakloy Riding Club offers horse-riding excursions in the Five Finger Mountains and these include picnic lunches and visits to historic castles and mountain monasteries. More adventurous tourists, may also want to try their hand at paragliding around the area of St. Hilarion’s Castle whilst they are on holiday in Northern Cyprus.

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