/ journey to the history /
HISTORICAL PLACES
around Limassol
KOURION (CURIUM),
18 KM FROM LIMASSOL
Opening hours:
Kourion or Curium (Latin) was an ancient city on
the southwestern coast of Cyprus, the surrounding
WINTER HOURS
(16/9–15/4)
Kouris River Valley being occupied from at least the
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Ceramic Neolithic period (4500–3800 BCE) to the
Sunday:
present. The acropolis of Kourion, located 1.3 km
08.15–17.15;
southwest of Episkopi and 18 km west of Limassol,
SUMMER
is located atop a limestone promontory nearly one
HOURS
hundred metres in height along the coast of Episkopi
(16/4–15/9)
Bay. The Kourion archaeological area lies within the
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Akrotiri West Sovereign Base Area, part of the Brit-
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ish Overseas Territory of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, but
8.15–19.45.
managed by the Cyprus Department of Antiquity.
Admission:
Kourion is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site.
€4.50
Kourion promontory, on which the acropolis
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of the ancient city-kingdom developed, occupies a
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dominant position on the coast. The most ancient
remains in the ancient city are associated with set-
tlements and tombs of the Middle and Late Bronze
Age. Legend has it that Kourion was founded by Argives in the 12th cen-
tury B.C. Systematic excavations over decades have unearthed several
archeological masterpieces:
THE AGORA: The Roman Agora, built on the remains of an earlier
public building, is a structure of the early 3rd century A.D. with addi-
tions dating to the Early Christian period. The Agora is surrounded on
both sides by porticos with marble columns. An impressive public bath
and a Nymphaeum, which supplied the city with water, occupy the NW
side of the Agora.
THE HOUSE OF ACHILLES: Only part of the building, situated at
the NW end of Kourion near the old Paphos- Lemesos road, is pre-
served today. It is a Roman villa of the first half of the 4th century A.D.
with a central peristyle court and rooms decorated with mosaic floors
depicting popular stories.
THE HOUSE OF THE GLADIATORS: This Roman house, dated to
late 3rd century A.D., is a few metres east of the House of Achilles. Among
the mosaics, one depicts a Gladiator combat scene, a rarity in Cyprus.
THE THEATRE: Originally built in the 2nd century B.C. with 2nd
and 3rd century A.D. additions and restorations, the curved audito-
rium accommodated around 3500 people. Today the theatre is used for
cultural events.
The other digs include The Baths and the Complex of Eustolios,
the Early Christian Basilica, the Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates, the
Stadium and the Small Basilica.
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KOLOSSI CASTLE
Visiting Hours:
Kolossi Castle is a former Crusader stronghold
on the south-west edge of Kolossi village 14 km
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16 Apr‑15 Sep:
west of Limassol. When its ruler, Isaac Commenus
08.30–19.30
refused to assist the Crusaders, Richard the Lion-
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heart seized St. Hilarion, Buffavento and Kantara
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Castles, while his cousin Guy de Lusignan cap-
16 Sep‑15 Apr:
tured the Castle of Kyrenia and Isaac Commenus.
08.30–17.00
The English sold the castles to the Franks in 1191.
all days.
It held great strategic importance in the Middle
Entrance Fee:
Ages, and contained large facilities for the production
€2.50
of sugar from the local sugarcane, one of Cyprus’s
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main exports in the period. The original castle
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was possibly built in 1210 by the Frankish military.
It served first as the Grand Commandery of the
Knights Templar, and after the fall of Acre in 1291 for
some years, the land of Kolossi was given by King Hugh I to the Knights
of the Order of St John of Jerusalem (Hospitallers). The present castle was
built in 1454 by the Hospitallers under the Commander of Kolossi, Louis
de Magnac, whose arms can be seen carved into the castle’s walls.
The castle today looks in good
condition presenting an impressive
square shape, with each of its four
sides 16m long on the outside and
13.5m on the inside.
The height of the castle is 21m. Considered to be impregnable,
it proved so, surviving even earthquakes. The fertile land around it
saw many vineyards come up and the area is also known for its sweet
wine, Commandaria. At the wedding banquet after King Richard the
Lionheart’s marriage to Berengaria of Navarre at nearby Limassol, he
allegedly declared it to be the “wine of kings and the king of wines.” It
has been produced in the region for millennia, and is thought to be the
oldest continually-produced and named wine in the world, known for
centuries as “Commandaria” after the Templars’ Grand Commandery
there. Limassol continues to be its administrative base.
• 2018 EDITION