Archaeological sights in Cyprus
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St Paul's Pillar
This is where St Paul was allegedly tied and scourged 39 times before he finally converted his tormentor, the Roman governor Sergius Paulus, to Christianity.
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Salamis
This was Cyprus' most important pre-Christian city, and it's still the country's best archaeological site. You could easily spend a day here, checking out the fully restored Roman amphitheatre, the gymnasium with marble baths, and the fascinating mosaics.
Salamis' history provides a cross-section of the many civilisations that have contended with each other over thousands of years in the Mediterranean. Subject to the Assyrian, Persian and Ptolemaic empires at various times, its own high period was the 6th century BC. Most of the ruins are Byzantine or Roman, and they're scattered over 8km (5mi). A very pleasant beach fringes the site, so bring your bathers.
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Ancient Kition
Much of present-day Larnaka is built over the original site of Ancient Kition, so no further digging can be done without damaging the city (some work was done by Swedish excavators in the 1920s when the new city didn't extend as far as it does now). It is reported that the British carted off the 'rubble' from the site to fill malarial marshes, and thus regressed this already rather sparse site.
What is left of the ancient city is a small site known as Area II, a rather nondescript and essentially uninteresting place about 1km northwest of the city centre. A raised walkway takes you over what is left of the remains of Ancient Kition, where excavations sporadically…
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Sanctuary of Apollon Ylatis
About 2km west of the main Kourion entrance and prominently signposted off the highway is the Sanctuary of Apollon Ylatis, which is part of the larger site of Kourion. The precinct was established in the 8th century BC in honour of Apollo, who was considered god of the woods (ylatis means 'of the woods' in Greek). The once woody site now has far less vegetation, but retains a good scattering of remains that give a reasonable idea of the layout of the original sanctuary.
The remnants that you see are Roman structures that were levelled by a large earthquake in AD 365. The main sanctuary has been partly restored; the beautiful, imposing standing columns mark the extent of…
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Hrysopolitissa Basilica
This fairly extensive site, which is still being excavated, was home to one of Pafos' largest religious structures. What's left are the foundations of a Christian basilica (built in the 4th century), which aptly demonstrate the size and magnificence of the original church; it was ultimately destroyed during Arab raids in 653. Green-marble columns from this church lie scattered around the site and mosaics from the church floor are still visible.
Further incarnations of the basilica were built over the years, leading to the present small Agia Kyriaki church. The overall area is loosely roped off, so you can't get a total picture of the remains.
What is visible on the western…
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Ancient Amathous
This archaeological site, 11km east of Lemesos, belies its original importance. Ancient Amathous was one of Cyprus' original four kingdoms (the others were Salamis, Pafos and Soloi). Legend has it that the city was founded by Kinyras, the son of Pafos. It is also said that Kinyras introduced the cult of Aphrodite to Cyprus.
Founded in about 1000 BC, the city had an unbroken history of settlement until about the 14th century AD, despite depredation at the hands of Corsairs during the 7th and 8th centuries. In 1191, when Richard the Lionheart appeared on the scene, the city was already on the decline. Since its harbour was silted up, King Richard was obliged to disembark on…
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Pafos Archaeological Site
Nea Pafos (New Pafos) is the name given to the sprawling Pafos Archaeological Site, which occupies the western segment of Kato Pafos. Nea Pafos is the ancient city of Pafos, which was founded in the late 4th century BC. Palea Pafos (Old Pafos) was in fact Kouklia, southeast of today's Pafos, and the site of the Sanctuary of Aphrodite.
At the time of Nea Pafos, Cyprus was part of the kingdom of the Ptolemies, the Graeco-Macedonian rulers of Egypt whose capital was Alexandria. The city became an important strategic outpost for the Ptolemies, and the settlement grew considerably over the next seven centuries.
The city was originally encircled by massive walls and occupied an…
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Ancient Kourion
Defiantly perched on the hillside overlooking the sea, Ancient Kourion is a spectacular site whether you're an archaeology lover or not. It attracts lots of visitors every day, so if you want to view it with a modicum of peace and quiet, come early in the morning or late in the afternoon, although buses with groups often arrive in the afternoons, when the really hot part of the day is done. If you wish to photograph the place, mornings and afternoons are better anyway.
Ancient Kourion is close to two other attractions in the immediate vicinity, the Sanctuary of Apollon Ylatis and Kolossi Castle. All three can be visited in the same day; as a cooling break, incorporate a…
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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…
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Pafos Mosaics
This mesmerising collection of intricate and colourful mosaics in the southern sector of the Pafos archaeological site, immediately to the south of the Agora, is a pleasure to discover.
Found by accident during levelling operations in 1962, these exquisite mosaics decorated the extensive floor area of a large, wealthy residence from the Roman period. Subsequently named the House of Dionysus (because of the large number of mosaics featuring Dionysus, the god of wine), this complex is the largest and best known of the mosaic houses.
The most wonderful thing about the mosaics is that, apart from their artistic and aesthetic merits, each tells a story. In particular, many are…
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