Limassol Holiday Guide

The “Commandaria” wine, the oldest named wine in the world, was first produced here, after Richard the Lionheart visited Lemesos during the crusades and made the town his headquarters.

Limassol nowadays is a busy shopping centre with lots of taverns and restaurants but also has various important monuments to exhibit and plenty of culture to be explored.

Stavrovouni Monastery
The word Stavrovouni in Greek Means “Mountain of Cross”. This Orthodox Monastery was founded by St. Helena at 327 AD the mother of Constantine the Great, who brought a relic of the True Cross from Jerusalem. A fragment of the True Cross is covered by a silver casing and set in a 500 year old cross draped in a damask and encased in beaten silver.

The Arabs destroyed the original building in 1426, the remainder was burned by the Turks in 1570 before it was renovated in the 17th Century and inhabited again by Monks. The Monastery is built at 688m above sea level and this monastery offers some spectacular views over Larnaka and Troodos Mountains.

Limassol Castle - Cyprus Medieval Museum
This castle hosted the marriage of Richard the Lionheart in a chapel in 1191, unfortunately the chapel is no more, as the Great Hall of the castle, collapsed during 1525. Later when the Turks took over they made the castle a redoubt before it became a gaol and in 1940’s it was used as the British Forces Headquarters.

Amathus
More likely to be called “Amanthounda” in Greek; this important city-state has its origins since 1000 BC. Being an important city-state at the Phoenicians and the Greek period sided with Alexander the Great at his arrival against the Persians.

Homeland also for St. John the Almsgiver, later known as the patron saint of the Knights Hospitaller.

Little of the cities glorious past had remained by 1191 when King Richard I of England, the “Lionheart” on his way to the crusades, landed in Amathus. The stones of Amathus where used for some buildings in Limassol and also for distant projects such as the Suez Canal.

A market place and also remains of a Christian Basilica and parts of the defensive walls are now exhibited. There were temples also to Hercules, Adonis and Aphrodite.

Limassol District Archaeological Museum
This Limassol District Museum contains objects found in the surrounded area. Axe heads and tools of the Neolithic Period, Bronze and Iron Age Ceramics, Mycenaean Pottery and Statuettes.

The Jewellery is impressive so is the Sculpture of the Egyptian God Bes (325 BC) found in Amathus and the headless Zeus holding an eagle (4th Century).

Khirokitia (Choirokoitia)
The first evidence of Human Population in Cyprus showed that the inhabitants lived in communities/settlements of the same structure as the ones found in Volos Greece and Choirokotia in Cyprus. Choirokoitia settlement was found in 1934 and is estimated back to 6,800 BC.

The settlement characteristic is that all houses are of beehive shape. River stones were used for the foundations and the superstructure was of mud and bricks. Graves were dug in the floors and gifts of stone vessels and personal belongings were deposited in those of women.

Kolossi Castle
An Impressive castle with Cypress trees and gardens. The Knights Hospitaler was granted land at Kolossi by King Hugh I in 1210 and they built a castle. When Acre fell in 1291 the headquarters moved to Kolossi and the Grand Commandery of Kolossi became renowned as the richest possession of the Knights.
The original Castle suffered much damage in the Genoese attacks and the Mamelukes ravaged the lands in 1425. This led to the rebuilding of the Castle at the Mid-Fifteenth Century.

Kourion Parts are as follows:

The House of Achilles
According to the legend Achilles disguised himself as a maiden, in order not to reveal his identity to Odysseus. It is thought that the building was used as a reception area for important visitors and that it dates from the 4th Century AD. The House had open courtyards with rooms on both sides and a mosaic exhibiting Achilles' disguise.

The House of the Gladiators
A short walk from the House of Achilles is the house of the Gladiators. As the name refers, the battle of two Gladiators locked in combat is illustrated in the colourful Mosaic just in the courtyard.

Aquaduct
What is left from the Aquaduct dates back to the Roman period, and was actually used to bring water to the City in terracotta pipes from faraway springs.

Fountain House
The water from the Aquedect was stored here for the public to draw.

The House of Eustolios
A palatial building with some Mosaic floors built in the 5th Century AD. An inscription on the mosaic floor says “Enter and Good Luck to the House”. Inside there is a rectangular garden court with porticoes on three sides and rooms extended to the east and south. An Annex building was used for private residence.

Climbing up some stairs you reaches the baths. The central bathrooms have a mosaic floor exhibiting Kinisis the personification of Creation. There are cold and also hot baths in two independent sites, the hot baths have basins still, of which some have survived time.

The Stadium
Located about 1km further than the main sites is the stadium. Built in the 2nd Century AD by the Antonine emperors and had the capacity of about 6,000 spectators. It remained in use until the 400 AD. The outline of the U-shaped plan is preserved as are the outlines of the three entrance gates and section seating has been restored.

Sanctuary of Apollo
Located about 3km from the main site, this is the chief religious centre of ancient Cyprus. Apollo was worshiped as the God of the Woodland and the protector God of Kourion. Excavation brought to light evidence that worship to Apollo started here as far back as 800 BC and continued to the 400 AD.

Ancient worshippers came to the sanctuary either from the east through the Kourion Gate or from the west through the Pafos Gate. Close to the Kourion Gate is the Votive Pit where the priests disposed unwanted objects dedicated to the sanctuary - a narrow road leads to the north and to the Temple of Apollo- 100 AD which is partly restored. A small building where the rituals where taking place in the open air.

At the south of the buildings a “Palestra” of the Augustan period was used for exercise of Athletes. A big stone water jar was used for the athletes to freshen up from the warm weather. Baths were also located in the case where the athletes would like to have a warm or cold bath. Most of the Apollo Sanctuary remnants are from 100 AD rebuilt as of the 76-77 AD earthquakes, which were again destroyed at 400 AD to the present form.