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 swim at Kourion Beach, spread out temptingly below the ancient site of Kourion itself. Ancient Kourion was most likely founded in Neolithic times, probably because of its strategic position high on a bluff overlooking the sea. It became a permanent settlement in about the 13th century BC, when Mycenaean colonisers established themselves here.The settlement also prospered under the Ptolemies and Romans. A pre-Christian cult of Apollo was active among the inhabitants of Kourion in Roman times, as documented by the nearby Sanctuary of Apollon Ylatis. Christianity eventually supplanted Apollo and, despite disastrous earthquakes in the region, an early Christian basilica was built in the 5th century AD, testifying to the ongoing influence of Christianity on Kourion by this time. Pirate raids 200 years later severely compromised the viability of the now-Christian bishopric; the Bishop of Kourion was obliged to move his base to a new settlement at nearby Episkopi (which means 'bishopric' in Greek). Kourion declined as a settlement from that point on and was not rediscovered until tentative excavations at the site began in 1876. The early Christian basilica displays all the hallmarks of an early church, with foundations clearly showing the existence of a narthex, diakonikon (a storage area for agricultural products used by priests and monks), various rooms, baptistery and atrium. Some floor mosaics are also visible among the remains.