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 the beach to claim the once proud and wealthy city. He promptly applied the royal coup de grâce by destroying it, and Amathous was no more. It is rather difficult to understand the site without visual guidance, since much of the stone and marble has long been looted and carted away for other building projects. Most of Amathous' best treasures were removed by the infamous American consul of Larnaka, Luigi Palma de Cesnola. As you enter the site, there is an explanatory pedestal with a schematic map of the area. This will help you to understand how the city was originally laid out. Excavations only started in earnest in 1980. To date, the two main visible features are an early Christian basilica in the so-called lower city, and the remains of a sanctuary to Aphrodite on the acropolis immediately behind the lower city. The full extent of the ancient city has yet to be discovered. Excavations are made difficult by the considerable growth of tourist hotels on both sides of the site. The remains of the ancient harbour have been found offshore. Occasional free summer concerts are held within the grounds of Amathous. Look for posters at the site or check with the CTO in Lemesos. Local buses 6 and 30 from Lemesos will drop you off around 800m from the entrance.