Ancient Soloi

Ancient Soloi is one of the ancient city kingdoms of Cyprus. Soloi traces its origin back to an Assyrian tribute list (700 BC) where the original city was referred to as Si-il-lu. In 580 BC, King Philokyprios moved his capital from Aepia to Si-il-lu on the advice of his mentor, the Athenian philosopher Solon. Philokyprios promptly renamed the citadel Soloi in honour of Solon.

In 498 BC, Soloi, along with most of the other city kingdoms of Cyprus (Amathous being the exception), rose up against the Persians but was ultimately defeated. It languished until Roman times, when it flourished once again, thanks to the rich copper mines nearby. As happened in other parts of Cyprus, Soloi suffered looting and sacking at the hands of Arab raiders in the 7th century AD. The site consists of two main parts: the basilica nearest the entrance to the site, and the theatre along a short path up a hill south of the basilica. The remains of a royal palace can also be found on the acropolis next to the theatre, though it is believed that this dates from a later period. The basilica is now covered with a large, open-walled, tin-roofed structure that protects the remains and the archaeologists who are still working sporadically on the excavations. St Mark was baptised here by St Auxibius, and the first church is thought to have been built in the second half of the 4th century. As is the case with most archaeological remains, it is difficult to imagine the size and extent of the church, which by all accounts was an impressive structure. The remains of the decorated floors, on the other hand, are immediately obvious. Notable among them is a mosaic of a swan surrounded by floral patterns, and four small dolphins nearby. The heavy roof over the sanctuary has spoiled the view of the mosaics as the light has been reduced. The Roman theatre has been restored considerably. As much of its original stonework was carted away by the British to rebuild the dockside of Port Said in the late 19th century, the restoration does little for the imagination, but in its time the theatre could accommodate up to 4000 spectators. The famous Roman statuette of Aphrodite of Soli was discovered nearby. This is now in the Cyprus Museum in Lefkosia.