10000 Years of History Cyprus

Cyprus10000years of history & civilisati on

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CONTENTS 1

INTRODUCTION

CYPRUS: 10000 years of history and civilisation

THE HISTORY OF CYPRUS

8200 - 1050 BC Prehistoric Age

1050 - 480 BC Historic Times: Geometric and Archaic Periods

480 BC - 330 AD Classical, Hellenistic and Roman Periods

330 - 1191 AD Byzantine Period

1192 - 1489 AD Frankish Period

1489 - 1571 AD The Venetians in Cyprus

1571 - 1878 AD Cyprus becomes part of the Ottoman Empire

1878 - 1960 AD British rule

1960 - today The Cyprus Republic, the Turkish invasion,

European Union entry

LEFKOSIA (NICOSIA)

LEMESOS (LIMASSOL)

LARNAKA

PAFOS

AMMOCHOSTOS (FAMAGUSTA)

TROODOS

ROUTES: Byzantine route, Aphrodite Cultural Route

CYPRUS TOURISM ORGANISATION OFFICES

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10000 Years of History and Civilisation10000 Years of History and Civilisation

LEFKOSIA - NICOSIA LEMESOS - LIMASSOL

LARNAKA PAFOS

AMMOCHOSTOS - FAMAGUSTA TROODOS

INTRODUCTION 3

10000 Years of History and Civilisation

Cyprus is a small country with a long history and a richculture. It is not surprising that UNESCO included thePafos antiquities, Choirokoitia and ten of the Byzantineperiod churches of Troodos in its list of World HeritageSites.

The aim of this publication is to help visitors discoverthe cultural heritage of Cyprus. The qualified personnelat any Information Office of the Cyprus TourismOrganisation (CTO) are happy to help organise yourvisit in the best possible way. Parallel to answeringquestions and enquiries, the Cyprus TourismOrganisation provides, free of charge, a wide range ofpublications, maps and other information material.Additional information is available at the CTO website: www.visitcyprus.com

It is an unfortunate reality that a large part of theisland’s cultural heritage has since July 1974 beenunder Turkish occupation. This heritage has beensubjected to severe damage. The occupation force hasbeen systematically trying to alter the demographyand cultural identity of the area under theiroccupation.

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Pafos Mosaics

The archaeological site of ChoirokoitiaAgios Nikolaos tis Stegis Church

INTRODUCTION

CYPRUS4


10 000 years of history and civilisation

A country’s cultural heritage is the most important li-ving treasure of its people. It is through this that itsidentity can be expressed and an awareness of its hi-storical continuity through time can be created. Cyprusis the third largest island in the Mediterranean. It is si-tuated at the crossroads of three continents – Europe,Asia and Africa. This geographic position has since an-tiquity played an important part in the island’s turbu-lent history. Its prehistoric age inhabitants were joinedby the Mycenaean Greeks 3500 years ago, who intro-duced and established their civilisation, thus perma-nently instilling the island’s Greek roots. Many othercultures followed since then, including Phoenicians,Assyrians, Franks, Venetians, Ottomans, British, all lea-ving behind visible traces of their passage.

On this island once walked Christ’s apostles. The splen-dour of the Byzantine Empire for many centuries en-capsulated Cyprus. The island is an open-air museum,where one can visit prehistoric settlements, classicalGreek temples, Roman theatres and villas, early Chri-

stian basilicas, Byzantine churches and monasteries,Crusader castles, Gothic cathedrals, Venetian fortifica-tions, Moslem mosques and British colonial-style buil-dings.

In the villages one can still observe old ways of life,customs and traditions. Here, festivities whose originshark back to the depths of antiquity are still being ce-lebrated. These include Carnival and the Flower Festi-vals. Aphrodite, the ancient Greek Olympian goddessof beauty and love, who according to mythology wasborn on the island, still roams her beloved Pafos andthe “Sweet land of Cyprus”, omnipresent in the brightatmosphere, the beauty of the landscape and thecharm of the local people. At Kouklia, where oncestood her great temple, now stands a church fittinglyknown as the church of “Panagia Aphroditissa”.

The immortal verses of the ancient Greek playwrightsstill reverberate on a balmy summer evening at the an-cient theatre of Kourion and the Pafos Odeion, whereclassical Greek plays are regularly staged. And in themonth of September, wine flows copiously and the spi-rit of Dionysos, the Greek god of wine and well-being,lives on throughout the duration of the Wine Festival.Popular medieval songs can still be heard on the islandreviving the legends of Digenis, the invincible folk heroof the Byzantine era and the unfettered Rigaina, thebeautiful amazonian queen. Cyprus, as the eastern-most part of Europe, constitutes a cultural bridgebetween people of different religions, cultures andways of life.

CYPRUS

Kourion Ancient Theatre

THE HISTORY OF CYPRUS 5


THE HISTORY OF CYPRUS8200 - 1050 BC

The very first signs of permanent settlement in Cyprusdate from the Neolithic age (8200-3800 BC). While cop-per is mined in small quantities during the next period,the Chalcolithic age (3800-2400 BC) , this brings aboutonly minor changes in the way of life of the people. Inboth the Neolithic and the Chalcolithic ages theCypriots lived in single room dwellings, used stonetools and vessels, made jewellery out of picrolite, atefish, cereals, lamb and goat’s meat and buried theirdead within their settlements. The earliest potteryfound dates back to the 5th millennium BC.

The first significant cultural changes affecting allaspects of society took place around 2400-2200 BC,towards the end of the Chalcolithic age and at the be-ginning of the Early Bronze age. Instead of building cy-lindrically-shaped dwellings, people began toconstruct multi-room oblong structures, started toprocess copper in jewellery, applied the plough foragriculture and began to bury their dead in organisedcemeteries. Despite the fact that these developmentscontributed to the economic growth that occurredboth during the Early (2400-1900 BC) and Middle(1900-1650 BC) Bronze age periods, people still livedin small hinterland villages. Communication and tradewith the surrounding Mediterranean lands was limited.

The Late Bronze age (1650-1050 BC) was the first pe-riod of prehistoric Cyprus when tangible and irrefuta-ble evidence exists that a number of significantdevelopments occurred. These include the establish-ment of coastal towns, intensive mining of copper andother metals, development of a writing script, contactand trade with the neighbouring regions of Egypt, theMiddle East, the Aegean and the wider EasternMediterranean area.

From the latter part of the 13th century BC successivewaves of mainland Greeks begin to settle in Cyprus.Hence, Mycenaean pottery is imported in great quan-tities from the Aegean (Greece) and used extensively,both in everyday life as well as for religious ceremo-nies. Later it is reproduced locally and incorporated inthe island’s ceramic tradition.

Prehistoric Age

Cruciform picrolite figurine, Chalcolithicage

Plank-shapedfigurine,Early-MiddleBronze age

Stone cotainer, Neolithic age

Bronze figurineof the ‘HornedGod’, LateBronze age

Plank-shapedfigurine,Early-MiddleBronze age White slip pottery, Late Bronze age

THE HISTORY OF CYPRUS6


1050 - 480 BCHistoric Times: Geometric and Archaic Periods

Two major developments marked the transition fromthe Prehistoric age to Historic periods – the first waspolitical and the second technological.

The first major development was the establishment ofnew city-kingdoms. Up until the 11th century BC, allthe large cities of the Late Bronze age had been de-stroyed by natural causes, possibly earthquakes. Folktales that the new towns were created by heroes of theTrojan War on their return from the conflict correlateto historical facts, namely the last wave of AchaeanGreek settlement, which led to the eventual hellenisa-tion of Cyprus, with the adoption of Greek culture andlanguage. From the 10th century BC onwards the tiesbetween Cyprus and Greek islands such as Evia andCrete became particularly close.

The second major development was the use of iron inmetallurgy, which marked the start of a new era, theIron age. At first iron was used only in jewellery, but itgradually replaced copper in tool making. The Iron ageincludes the Geometric period (1050 - 750 BC), in view

of the fact that geometrical motifs were mainly usedin decorating pottery. This period coincided with thearrival of the Phoenicians in Cyprus and their coloni-sation of the large coastal Mycenaean city of Kition.Typical Phoenician black-on-red colour pottery was in-troduced and later produced locally on the island.

The beginning of the next period, the Archaic period(750-480 BC), was marked by the subjugation ofCyprus to the Assyrians. During this period, the Cypriotcity-kingdoms of Salamis, Kition, Amathous, Kourion,Idalion, Palaipafos, Marion, Soloi and Tamassosremained independent for as long as they were in aposition to pay a subjugation tax to the Assyrian ruler.After the rule of the Assyrian hegemony, the EgyptianPharaoh Amasis took over Cyprus. Typical of this pe-riod were the strong Greek and eastern influences evi-dent in all aspects of life, more so in art and religion.

Geometric and Archaic period pottery

The ancient city-kigdom of Kition



480 BC - 330 AD

During the Classical period (480-310 BC) Cyprus founditself in the middle of the Greco-Persian Wars.TheGreek strategy was to drive the Persians off all Greeklands, including Cyprus, where they succeeded just fora short period, between 450 and 449 BC, when theAthenian fleet led by Kimon took over Marion, libera-ted Soloi and besieged Kition.

Despite this, Cyprus did eventually become part of thePersian Empire, though still maintaining its indepen-dence to a large degree. During the rule of Evagoras ofSalamis (411-374 BC) Cyprus developed into one of themost important political and cultural centres of theHellenic world. Evagoras rebelled against the Persians,but after a lengthy war he was forced to sign a peacetreaty with Persia. Throughout Persian rule, Greek in-fluences on Cyprus were very strong. Deities of theGreek pantheon were introduced and Greek artistswere assigned to create the seals of the coins to beminted for use by the Cypriot city-kingdoms.

Persian rule came to an end during the Hellenistic pe-riod (310-30 BC) during Alexander the Great’s cam-paign to the East. After Alexander’s death, Ptolemy,one of his successors, became ruler of the island.Strong influences of Alexandria, the capital of the newPtolemaic kingdom of Egypt, are evident in all areas ofart, such as sculpture, ceramics and statuette making.During the Ptolemaic period Cyprus was mainly usedas a military base. The Ptolemies exploited the island’snatural resources, such as copper, timber for the con-struction of ships, olives and wheat.

The Romans, who took control of Cyprus after the Pto-lemies, mainly exploited its copper mines. Althoughthe Roman period proper is said to have begun in58 BC, Cyprus did not come under Roman rule until30 BC. During the Roman period (30 BC-330 AD), thename of Cyprus became synonymous with the Latinequivalent name for copper (cuprum). Under Romanrule, as a result of trade Cyprus enjoyed a three hun-dred year period of economic growth. One of the mainexports at the time was decorative Cypriot pottery.Cypriot jewellery and glassware copied the decorative

styles of Roman craft shops. At the start of the Romanperiod burial tombs were particularly rich, oftencontaining exquisite golden jewellery and craftedglassware.

A landmark in the history of Cyprus during the Romanperiod was the conversion of the island to Christianityby the Apostles Paul and Barnabas, starting in 45 AD.

Classical, Hellenistic and Roman Periods

Marble head of Aphrodite

Roman period coins



330 - 1191

In 330 AD the capital of the Roman Empire was movedfrom Rome to Constantinople. Christianity was decla-red the official religion of the state. In 395 AD theRoman Empire was split into the Western Roman Em-pire and the Eastern Roman Empire. The Eastern part,also known as the Byzantine Empire, included Cyprus,from the 4th to the 12th centuries. During the EarlyChristian-Early Byzantine period, between the 4th and7th centuries, the church of Cyprus succeeded withgreat effort to remain autocephalous, fully indepen-dent and to increase its influence considerably. In 488AD Byzantine Emperor Zeno accorded the Archbishopof Cyprus and his successors the privileges of wearinga purple cloak during official ceremonies, holding animperial sceptre and signing in red ink. ArchbishopAnthemios, wishing to express his gratitude to the Em-peror for ratifying that the Church of Cyprus would beautocephalous, presented him St. Barnabas’ manu-script of St. Mathew’s Gospel, which Archbishop Anth-emios had discovered in the Apostle’s tomb nearSalamis. A monastery dedicated to St. Barnabas waserected on the spot where his tomb was discovered.St. Barnabas is considered to be the founder of theChurch of Cyprus.

Peace prevailed in Cyprus during the first centuries ofthe Byzantine period. New cities sprung up, while oth-ers were abandoned as a result of major destructive

earthquakes. The capital of Cyprus was moved fromPafos to Salamis-Constantia, near which the town ofArsinoe-Ammochostos (Famagusta) developed fromthe 7th century. Amathous remained an importantcentre since Roman times, while a new city was esta-blished nearby, Neapolis or Nemesos, later becomingLemesos, in the Frankish period. The old city of Ledrawas replaced by Lefkosia, which eventually becamethe capital of Cyprus sometime between the 11th and12th century.

The silk industry, which the Byzantines introducedclandestinely from China, originally developed in the6th century and grew to become one of the most lu-crative handicrafts on the island. The shipbuildingyards of Cyprus continued to produce wooden shipson a large scale, while an aqueduct was built in Sala-mis, funded by the Byzantine Emperor Heraklios. Thesilver and goldsmith industries flourished, as eviden-ced by precious plates with depictions of the life ofDavid, part of the discovered treasure of Lambousa(Lapithos). Some of the plates are now exhibited in the

Byzantine Period

Silver plate, Lambousa, 7th century

Machairas Monastery



Cyprus Museum in Lefkosia, while other objects fromthe collection are housed in the British Museum andthe Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Ecclesiastical art flourished in Cyprus, adopting ele-ments from the Greco-Roman tradition, as well as ea-stern elements. The island’s first churches were builtbased on the Roman basilica model of an elongatedoblong area, divided by a row of columns into arch-ways and aisles. As time went by domes and archeswere added and various types developed around theshape of a cross. The most important examples of ar-chitecture during this period are the early Christianwooden-roofed basilicas decorated with frescoes. Themost important ones are those of Lambousa, Chryso-politissa at Kato Pafos, Kambanopetra in Constantia,Agia Triada in Gialousa, Panagia Kanakaria in the Kar-pas peninsula, Kourion and Agios Georgios in Pegeia.Three rare mosaics that still survive inside the apses ofthree early Christian basilicas depict the artistic con-nection between Cyprus and Constantinople. The ol-dest of the three mosaics was the one in the apse ofthe now occupied church of Panagia Kanakaria in theKarpas peninsula, the one in the best condition isfound in the apse of the church of Panagia Angelokti-sti at Kiti, while the third is in the church of PanagiaKyra, in the occupied village of Livadia, near Ammo-chostos. The basilicas were destroyed by the Arab raidsthat took place between the 7th and 10th centuries,but the mosaics were spared because they were in-corporated into subsequent churches.

Cyprus acquired particular importance to Byzantiumand to Islam in the 7th century as a result of the conflictbetween the powers of the time. The Arab raids againstCyprus began in 648-649 AD and continued until965 AD, when Emperor Nicephorus II Phocas finally de-feated them. Up until the 12th century the Byzantinesbuilt castles and fortifications along the Pentadaktylosmountain range at St Hilarion, Voufavento and Kan-tara, as well as the monasteries at Kykkos, Machairasand Agios Neophytos.

Panagia tis Asinou Church

Panagia tou Araka Church



1192 - 1489Frankish Period

In 1191, the king of England, Richard the Lionheart, fo-resaw the strategic importance of Cyprus as a base forsupplying the forces taking part in the Third Crusade,and conquered the island. In Cyprus Richard marriedhis fiancée Berengaria of Navarre, who was accompa-nying him, and crowned her Queen of England. Reali-sing how difficult it would be to maintain control ofthe island, Richard sold it to the Knights Templars, whohanded it back, following a local uprising on the island.Richard finally sold Cyprus to the former king of theLatin state of Jerusalem, French nobleman Guy deLusignan, founder of the Lusignan dynasty of kingsand queens in Cyprus, whose family originated fromPoitier in France. Frankish rule of Cyprus, known as theLusignan period, lasted for three centuries (1192-1489). The governing regime in Cyprus became feudaland the Catholic church was instated as the official in-

stitution of the state. In 1291, after the fall of Acre (Latinkingdom of Jerusalem) to the Mamelukes of Egypt, Cy-prus remained the sole bastion of Christianity in theEast, as well as the most important trading post in theEastern Mediterranean. The granting by the Frankishkings of commerce privileges to powerful trading ci-ties of the West, such as Venice and Genoa gave rise toconflict between the Western powers as to who wouldprevail over Cyprus. This had a detrimental politicaland economic effect on the island.

The 14th century saw great commercial and economicactivity in Cyprus. The capital of the island Lefkosia andthe coastal city of Ammochostos (Famagusta) grewinto large urban centres with considerable trading ac-tivity. During the Middle Ages, Cyprus produced andexported high quality sugar, excellent wine and otherfine agricultural products. At the same time the wea-ving and lace industries flourished. Another growingindustry was the production of glazed ceramic ware,both for local as well as for export needs.

The gothic monuments that survive from the Frankishperiod consist mainly of places of worship and castlesthat combine Byzantine and western elements. Thechurch of Agia Sofia in Lefkosia, St Nicholas cathedralin Ammochostos and the Abbey of Belapais are justsome of the better known structures.

Richard the Lionheart

Frankish period coins



1489 - 1571

The last queen of Cyprus, Caterina Cornaro, wife ofKing James II and sister of Venetian nobleman AndreasCornaro ceded the island to Venice in 1489, whereu-pon Cyprus became part of “the Most Serene Republic”of Venice. This resulted in the definitive ousting of theGenoans from the island and the prevalence of Vene-tian rule. Venice’s main aim was to secure a firm hold ofCyprus that would allow the unimpeded movementand supply of Venetian ships in the Eastern Mediterra-nean.

The main agricultural products that the island expor-ted were wheat, barley, sugar, cotton, wine and oliveoil. The main cottage industry was textiles, while at thesame time lace was beginning to be produced in thevillage of Lefkara. Most exports were shipped out ofthe port of Ammochostos. Towards the end of Vene-tian rule, Larnaka became the most important port ofCyprus, from where salt was exported. The port ofLemesos also started to develop at this time.

When the Ottomans conquered the island of Rhodes in1522, the Venetians were alerted to the danger of lo-sing Cyprus. Hence they built fortifying walls around

Lefkosia and strengthened the existing walls of Am-mochostos, on whose sea side stood the tower ofOthello, known from the Shakespeare tragedy.

The Venetians in Cyprus

Venetian Walls, Lefkosia




The period of Ottoman rule in Cyprus began with thefall of Ammochostos (Famagusta) in 1571. The Latinswere expelled from the island and a Moslem commu-nity was established in Cyprus for the first time. Privi-leges were given to the Orthodox church of Cyprusfrom the beginning of Ottoman rule, giving it not justreligious authority but also political authority.

Cyprus went through hard times during Ottoman rule.The contribution of the Greek Cypriots to the GreekWar of Independence in 1821 resulted in the executionof Cyprus Archbishop Kyprianos, three of his bishopsand about 470 clerics and laymen.

Since the early 18th century, there took place a posi-tive social and economic resurgence in the lives ofGreek Cypriots and Greeks, alongside the parallel de-cline of the Ottoman Empire.

The trading activities of Europeans in the coastal townsof Cyprus and the establishment of foreign consularoffices in Larnaka marked the start of a change in thesocial fabric of the island, from agricultural and semi-feudal as it was in previous periods, to semi-urban inthe coastal towns. This social change was strengthe-

ned by the close contacts of the Greeks of Cyprus withthe newly independent Greek state that emerged afterthe Greek War of Independence. These first urbanisedtownsfolk began to express the first strong nationalistsentiments.

1571 - 1878Cyprus becomes part of the Ottoman Empire

The house of Chatzigeorgakis Kornesios, Lefkosia

Hala Sultan Tekkesi, Larnaka Salt Lake



1878 - 1960

In 1878, under a secret treaty established betweenGreat Britain and the Ottomans, Cyprus was ceded tothe former. Despite early expectations of Cypriots thatthere would be substantial changes in their political,economic and social lives and that their desire forunion of Cyprus with Greece would be fulfilled, thesedid not materialise. Greek Cypriot disappointmentwith British colonial rule together with the prevailingeconomic recession, led to the uprising events ofOctober 1931. These events resulted in even harshercolonial measures being imposed by the British.

The Greeks of Cyprus continued to press on with theirdemand for national restitution and union with Gre-ece but the British government continued to reject it.On 15 January 1950 a referendum on union with Gre-ece was held, in which 95,7% of Greek Cypriots votedin favour. The referendum outcome had no effect onthe British stance. On 20 October 1950 Bishop of KitionMakarios III was elected as Archbishop. The politicaldeadlock the Greek Cypriots faced led to the wagingof the national liberation anticolonial struggle of 1955-59, by the National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters(EOKA). The struggle resulted in the ending of Britishrule, but not to union with Greece. The Zurich-LondonAgreements led to the establishment of the indepen-dent Republic of Cyprus. On 13 December 1959 Arch-bishop Makarios III was elected first President of theRepublic and Dr Fazil Kutchuk first Vice President.

British rule

Presidential palace, Lefkosia



1960 - today

The Republic of Cyprus was proclaimed on 16 August1960. The island became a member of the United Na-tions, the Commonwealth, the Council of Europe andthe Non-Aligned Movement. On the basis of theZurich-London agreements Britain maintained two so-vereign military bases on the island with a total com-bined area of 158,4 square kilometres, consisting ofDhekelia to the east of Larnaka and Akrotiri-Episkopinear Lemesos. Two treaties were signed as part of theZurich-London agreements, the Treaty of Alliance andthe Treaty of Guarantee. The latter gave the right to thethree guarantor powers, Britain, Turkey and Greece, totake action in the event that the provisions of theTreaty were violated.

Although the Cyprus constitution safeguarded thebasic rights and freedoms of all its citizens, it contai-ned community provisions that made it complex andnon-workable. In 1963 the President of the Republicproposed constitutional amendments which both theTurkish Cypriot community leadership and Turkey re-jected. The Turkish Cypriots withdrew from the go-vernment and proceeded to set up an illegal“Temporary Turkish Cypriot Adminstration”. As a resultof subsequent inter-communal conflict that ensued atthe beginning of 1964, a United Nations SecurityCouncil resolution established a U.N Peace KeepingForce in Cyprus.

In 1974 the military junta ruling Greece at the time sta-ged a military coup in Cyprus aiming at the overthrowof elected President Makarios. Turkey used the coup asa pretext to invade militarily the island on 20 July 1974and occupy 37% of the territory of the Republic of

Cyprus, displacing about 200000 Greek Cypriots fromthe occupied northern part of the island. Despiteinternational condemnation of Turkey and theacknowledgement of the rights of the Cypriot peopledrafted in various resolutions issued by the United Na-tions, the Security Council, the Commonwealth, theNon-Aligned Movement and other international orga-nisations, Turkish troops still illegally occupy the nor-thern part of Cyprus. On 1 May 2004, with its northernpart still under occupation, Cyprus became a full mem-ber of the European Union. The accession act includeda protocol which states that implementation of the ac-quis communautaire on the areas not controlled bythe Cyprus government (as a result of the Turkishinvasion) is suspended. This suspension will be remo-ved as soon as the Cyprus problem is solved. Effortsand negotiations to find a just and functional solutionto the Cyprus problem are continuing.

Monument to Liberty, Lefkosia

The Republic of Cyprus, the Turkish invasion, European Union entry

LEFKOSIA 15


LEFKOSIA(NICOSIA)

Lefkosia is situated practically in the centre of Cyprusand constitutes a rich cultural hub. The history of thecity dates back to the Bronze age. In antiquity and inearly Christian times it was known as Ledra. It hasbeen the capital of Cyprus since the late Byzantineperiod (11th century). The Lusignans transformed itinto a splendid town, with royal palaces and 50 ch-urches. Contemporary Lefkosia combines the historicpast with the liveliness of a modern city. The city cen-tre, the old “Chora”, surrounded by 16th century walls,with museums, old churches and medieval buildings,maintains the leisurely atmosphere of yesteryear. Ou-tside the walls, the modern town with its contempo-rary comforts pulsates to cosmopolitan rhythms.Lefkosia remains the only divided capital in theworld. A few kilometres into the countryside one canadmire superb Byzantine churches and monasteries.

Visitors to Lefkosia (Nicosia) can get to know the town andfeel its pulse through organised walks, provided free ofcharge every Monday, Thursday and Friday.

Starting point:CTO Information Office Time: 10:00 amTel. : 22674264


St John’s Cathedral and Cyprus Ethnographic Museum

LEFKOSIA - PLACES OF INTEREST16

THE C YPRUS MUSEUM

PLACES OF INTEREST

The Cyprus Museum in Lefkosia is the main and largest archaeological museum in Cyprus. Work on the building commenced in 1908and was completed in 1924, when Cyprus was still a British colony. Several extensions were added later, to reach its present form. Avisit through the collections of the museum provides an opportunity to experience the development of Cyprus’ civilisation, from theNeolithic age to the Early Byzantine period (7th century AD). Finds from extensive excavations all over the island enrich the museum’scollections and contribute to the development of Cyprus’ archaeology and research into the cultural heritage of the Mediterranean. Thecollections consist of pottery, jewellery, sculpture, coins, copper objects, and other artifacts, exhibited in chronological order in the var-ious museum galleries. Pieces of important artistic as well as archaeological and historical value that are typical of Cypriot culture in-clude the cross-shaped idol of the Chalcolithic period, the Early Bronze age pottery from Vouni, the Late Bronze age golden jewelleryfrom Egkomi and the 1st century BC statue of Aphrodite of Soloi. The museum is a stop on the Aphrodite Cultural Route.

Mouseiou 1 Tel.: 22865854, 22303112

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PLACES OF INTEREST - LEFKOSIA 17

Cultural Centre of the Archbishop Makarios III FoundationArchbishopric groundsPlateia (square) Archiepiskopou Kyprianou Tel.: 22430008

Byzantine MuseumThe Byzantine Museum contains the richest and most representative collection ofByzantine art in Cyprus. Over 200 icons dating from the 9th to the 19th century, as wellas ecclesi astical vessels, robes and books are exhibited in the museum. The 6th centurymosaics from the church of Panagia Kanakaria in Lythragkomi are the most impressiveof all the exhibits. These mosaics were brought back to Cyprus after having been ille-gally exported from the occupied part of the island.

Art GalleriesThe four galleries of the Cultural Centre of the Archbishop Makarios III Foundation ex-hibit a unique collection of representative works of Western-European art dating fromthe Renaissance to modern times, as well as Greek and Cypriot masterpieces. a) The first gallery contains works of western European painters such as NicolasPoussin, Eugene Delacroix and others. b) The second gallery contains 18th and 19th century paintings, engravings and mapson themes from the 1821 Greek War of Independence.c) The third gallery contains works of Greek artists from the 19th and 20th century. d) The fourth gallery contains representative works of 20th century Cypriot artists.

The Old City within the wallsBYZANTINE MUSEUM AND ART GALLERIES

ARCHBISHOPRIC (NEW AND OLD)The new Archbishopric, the seat of the Cyprus Orthodox Church, was built in 1960 in a neo-byzantine style. The Old Archbishopric,built in 1730, stands alongside it. Its ground floor houses the Ethnographic Museum of Cyprus.

Plateia (square) Archiepiskopou Kyprianou

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ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM OF CYPRUS The Ethnographic Museum of Cyprus, housed on the ground floor of the old Archbishopric, consists of a large col lection of 19th andearly 20th century Cypriot folk art. It includes wood-carved objects, tapestry, embroidery, pottery, Cypriot folk costumes andmaterial hand-woven on the loom.

Plateia (square) Archiepiskopou Kyprianou Tel.: 22432578

It was built by Archbishop Nikiforos in 1662 on the site of a 14thcentury Benedictine chapel dedicated to St John the Evangelist.It was turned into an Orthodox monastery in 1426 when theBenedictine Order left the island following the Mameluke raids.The Orthodox church dedicated to St John the Theologian, re-mained a monastery until the 18th century when ArchbishopSylvester converted it into a cathedral, establishing it as the seatof the Orthodox Archbishopric in Cyprus. It is a small single-aisledchurch with Franco-Byzantine architectural elements, its highexternal buttresses giving the impression from the outside ofbeing a fortress. It is the only church in Lefkosia (Nicosia) inwhich the whole of the internal wall paintings have survived intheir entirety. The four large icons on the icon screen were paintedby the Cretan master, Ioannis Kornaros, in 1795 and 1797. Its 18thcentury wall paintings depict scenes from the Holy Bible and thediscovery of the tomb of St. Barnabas at Salamis.

AGIOS IOANNIS (ST. JOHN’S) CATHEDRAL

(next to the Archbishopric) Plateia (square) Archiepiskopou Kyprianou

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NATIONAL STRUGGLE MUSEUMThe museum houses documents, photographs and relevant items of the 1955-59 National Liberation Struggle.

Plateia (square) Archiepiskopou Kyprianou Tel.: 22305878

MUNICIPAL ARTS CENTRE

(Associated with the Pierides Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens)Apostolou Varnava 19, Lefkosia Tel.: 22797400

It is believed to be the oldest Byzantine church in Lefkosia. It is dedi cated to Panagia Chrysaliniotissa and is believed to have beenfirst built in 1450 by Queen Helena Palaeologina.

Chrysaliniotissa Street

CHRYSALINIOTISSA CRAFTS CENTREThis complex of eight workshops is situated near Chysaliniotissa church, the oldest Byzantine church in Lefkosia. The workshops nes-tle around a central courtyard, in the manner of a traditional inn. They consist of various units engaged in contemporary appli ca tionsof traditional crafts and a coffee shop. The Crafts Centre is part of the project to restore and regenerate the old part of Lefkosia withinthe walls.

Dimonaktos 2, (Corner of Ipponaktos and Dimonaktos Streets) Τel.: 22348050, 99629611

The building of the old power station, a fine example of industrialarchi tecture, has since 1994 been the home of the Nicosia Munic-ipal Arts Centre. Its aim is to promote fine art in Cyprus. It has alarge exhibition area where it houses rare and specialist publica-tions for art lovers. The restoration of the building was given the“Europa Nostra” award in 1994.

PANAGIA CHRYSALINIOTISSA CHURCH

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PYLI AMMOCHOSTOU (FAMAGUSTA GATE)Famagusta Gate is one of the three entrances into old Lefkosiathrough the Venetian walls. The walls have a perimeter of 4.5km, with eleven heart-shaped bastions and completely encirclethe old city. The eastern gate (Porta Juliana), known nowadaysas Famagusta Gate, has been restored and operates as theNicosia Municipal Cultural Centre. It consists of a large vaultedpassage and two side rooms. The internal entrance is veryimpressive, while the external one opens onto the moat thatsurrounds the walls.

This manor house is one of the most important surviving 18thcentury buildings in Lefkosia. It was once the residence of thedragoman of Cyprus, Chatzigeorgakis Kornesios, who was exe-cuted by the Ottomans in 1809. The office of Dragoman was in-troduced in Cyprus at the start of Ottoman rule and wasabolished in 1821 with the Greek War of Independence. Drago-mans acted as liaisons between the pasha and the occupied pop-ulation and were the most important political figures after thepasha. In the first years of Ottoman rule the dragomans wereforeigners or Greek speaking Franks and later Orthodox GreekCypriots. Chatzigeorgakis Kornesios was the most prominent ofall the dragomans of Cyprus.

The building was restored by the Department of Antiquities andtoday houses the Cyprus Ethnological Museum. In 1988 it wasgiven the “Europa Nostra” award.

The Omeriye Baths were built in the 16th century by LalaMustafa as a gift to the city. The bath complex or hammam wasdedicated to the Caliph Omer and the area became known asOmeriye. It has now been restored to its present state.

Plateia (square) TilliriasTo arrange a visit please call 22460570

OMERIYE BATHS

THE HOUSE OF CHATZIGEORGAKIS KORNESIOS - ETHNOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Patriarchou Grigoriou 20 Tel.: 22305316

Leoforos (Avenue) Athinon Tel.: 22430877

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Trikoupi & Plateia (square) Tillirias. Near the old Municipal Market. The mosque can be visited whenever there are no worshippers.

BAYRAKTAR MOSQUE The mosque is situated on the Constanza bastion of the Venetian walls, on the site where a Turkish soldier planted the colours of theOttomans on the Venetian Walls during the siege of the town in 1570.

This hall was part of the Lusignan palace and dates to the 13th-14th century. Kasteliotissa, with its strong gothic elements, has been re-stored by the Department of Antiquities. It is used today as an exhibition centre and is open to the public only when functions are held there.

KASTELIOTISSA MEDIEVAL HALL

Opposite Pafos Gate

The Classic Motorcycle Museum was created by motorcycle col-lector, Andreas Nicolaou. The 150 motorbikes of the museum datefrom 1914 to 1983. The exhibits include AJS Norton, Triumphand BSA motorcycles, as well as three police bikes that formedpart of Archbishop Makarios’ police escort, a motorcycle be-longing to EOKA hero Stylianos Lenas and one belonging to Turk-ish Cypriot champion Zeki Isa. The museum also houses anexhibition of photographs.

Granikou 44 Tel.: 22680222, 99543215

CYPRUS CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM

The Church of the Holy Cross, built in 1902, is situated near PafosGate, one of the three entrances into the town through the Ve-netian walls surrounding Lefkosia. The church does not belongto any definite style and its architectural features are austere.The cross of Jerusalem can be seen in the façade.

Pafos Gate Tel.: 22662132

HOLY CROSS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

OMERIYE MOSQUE (EX AUGUSTINIAN CHURCH) The mosque was formerly a 14th century Augustinianmonastery dedi cated to St. Mary. It was converted into a mosquein 1571 by Mustafa Pasha, the Ottoman conqueror of the island,who believed that the original church was built on the spotwhere the caliph Omer rested when visiting Lefkosia (Nicosia).Most of the original building was destroyed by Turkish artilleryin 1570. Inscribed tombstones from the Lusignan period wereused to install a new floor for the mosque. Visitors can see theremains of a late Venetian building near the eastern side of themosque.

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This is the only historical museum of Lefkosia that presents thesocial and historical development of the city, from the Chalcol-ithic age to the present day. Founded in 1984, it is named afterits donor, the Anastasios G. Leventis Foundation, which boughtand restored the building. The museum is administered by theMunicipality of Lefkosia. The collection includes archaeologicalfinds, traditional costumes, photographs, medieval pottery,maps, engravings, jewellery and furniture.

Ippokratous 17, Laiki Geitonia Tel.: 22661475

This area has seen the restoration of houses that are typicalexamples of traditional Cypriot urban architecture and are usedtoday as shops, restaurants and craft centres. The office of theCyprus Tourism Organisation in Laiki Geitonia is the start oforganised walks through the old town of Lefkosia.

LAIKI GEITONIA (TRADITIONAL NEIGHBOURHOOD)

Near Plateia (square) EleftheriasA restored pedestrian area within the walled city,

200m east of Eleftheria Square

LEVENTIS MUNICIPAL MUSEUM OF LEFKOSIA

The Pancyprian Gymnasium Museums is a fascinating 12-roomspace in the historical centre of Nicosia, depicting the history ofthe oldest establishment of Secondary Education in Cyprus(Founded 1812), as well as many other aspects of Cypriot historyand culture.

The Museums consist of the following: Museum of the Historyof the School, the Archaeological and the Numismatic Collec-tion, collection of Old Maps , collection of Old Weaponry, the ArtGallery with the work of great painters who served as teachersand students of the school, a Natural History Collection and otherexhibits. The collection is completed with a unique sample ofgothic sculpture from Cyprus which is impressive by its size, styleand iconographical references.

Ag. Ioannou + Theseos 10-16 Tel.: 22466014

THE PANCYPRIAN GYMNASIUM MUSEUMS

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The observatory on the 11th floor of the Shakolas Tower Build-ing provides a panoramic view of the whole town of Lefkosia.Visitors can admire unobstructed all round views of the city andits landmarks.

The museum presents one of the most important collections ofGreek Mycenaean pottery. Due to the wide spread export of thispottery style especially in the Eastern Mediterranean, such pot-tery was reproduced locally in other regions such as in Cyprusand in Syria. Of special significance is a unique anthropo morphicvessel. The collection is enriched by white slip pottery and basering pottery, two typical styles of pottery from the Late Bronzeage in Cyprus. The richest part of the collection consists of lime-stone sculptures from the 6th century BC to the Hellenistic pe-riod. The museum is linked with the Aphrodite Cultural Route.

LEDRA STREET OBSERVATORY

Ledra street, Shakolas Tower Building Tel.: 22679369

Built in 1872 within the old city walls, Faneromeni church is oneof the largest churches of Lefkosia. The marble mausoleum tothe east of the church contains the relics of the bishops andpriests executed by the Ottomans in 1821. Opposite the churchis the school of Faneromeni, one of the most historic academicinstitutions in Cyprus.

Onasagorou Street, within the old city

FANEROMENI CHURCH

MUSEUM OF THE GEORGE AND NEFELI GIABRA Pierides Collection

Stavros tou Missirikou is a medieval Orthodox church convertedinto a mosque when Cyprus was taken over by the Ottomans in1571. Originally built in the first half of the 16th century, it is aFrankish building whose architectural style is a blend of Byzan-tine, Gothic and Italian renaissance elements. It was namedafter the Frankish King of Cyprus Henry II (Monsieur Erikou), whoreigned from 1285 to 1324.

STAVROS TOU MISSIRIKOU CHURCH

Lefkonos Street, near Faneromeni church

Donated by Clio and Solon Triantafyllides, Phaneromenis 86-90, Tel.: 22677134

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Built by Archbishop Germanos II in 1695, it is an example ofFranco-Byzantine style architecture. The interior of the church isrich, with an unusually wide icon-stand and silver-plated icons.

Solonos Steet, near Laiki Geitonia

The museum has a collection of Cyprusstamps from 1880 until today. The collectionis accompanied by a display of objectsrelated to the history of the island’s PostalServices.

Outside the Walls

The Cyprus Handicraft Centre has workshops and an outlet for producing and selling traditional folk art and crafts such as pottery,basketry, copperware, wood-carving, embroidery and lace, mosaics, traditional costumes, dolls, leather goods and other genuineCypriot handicarfts.

TRYPIOTIS CHURCH

CYPRUS HANDICRAFT CENTRE

Leoforos (Avenue) Athalassas 186 Tel.: 22305024

Agiou Savva 3B Street, Laiki Geitonia Tel.: 22304711

CYPRUS POSTAL MUSEUM

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CYPRUS POLICE MUSEUM The museum was originally founded in 1933 during Britishcolonial times as a Criminal Museum by the then British Chief ofPolice of the colonial government. A substantial part of the mu-seum is dedicated to the history of the Cyprus Police Force, fromthe British period up to the present time. The visitor can see uni-forms, arms, equipment and police vehicles, as well as musicalinstruments, photographs and documents of the Police Band.The Museum also houses objects and documents from theSecond World War and the1955-59 Liberation Struggle.

Evangelou Floraki, within the Police Headquarters buildingTel.: 22808748

MUSEUM ON THE HISTORY OF CYPRIOT COINAGEThe museum col lec tions trace the devel op ment of Cypriot coinage from the 6th century BC to today. Two thousand six hundred years ofturbulent Cypriot history portrayed through the display of 370 coins. The collections are divided into nine time periods and are animpor tant source of information on Cyprus’ numismatic history. The museum is linked to the Aphrodite Cultural Route.

Phaneromenis 86-90 Tel.: 22677134

The gallery is housed in a restored building. The collectionsconsist of paintings and sculptures by 20th century Cypriotartists.

Corner Leoforos (Avenue) Stasinou & Kritis StreetTel.: 22458228

STATE GALLERY OF CONTEMPORARY CYPRIOT ART

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The church of St Paul was built in 1893 when Cyprus was part ofthe British Empire. The influence of politics on architecture isevidenced by the structural elements of the building which isreminiscent of an English parish church.

In an enclosure within the Central Prison complex rest nine young men convicted and hanged by the British Administration, duringthe course of the Liberation Struggle of 1955-59. They are Michail Karaolis, Andreas Dimitriou, Iacovos Patatsos, Andreas Zakos, Char-ilaos Michail, Stelios Mavrommatis, Andreas Panagides, Michail Koutsoftas, Evagoras Pallikarides. It is also the resting place of four otherEOKA heroes who died in combat (Markos Drakos, Grigoris Afxentiou, Stylianos Lenas, Kyriakos Matsis). After Independence the areawas converted into a place of veneration and aptly named ‘Filakismena Mnimata’ (Incarcerated Graves), from a painting by Cypriot artistPol Georgiou. To the inside right of the enclosure lie the graves of the young heroes and to the left are the cells where they were kept,as well as the noose used for the executions.

Central Prison Tel.: 22406000

FILAKISMENA MNIMATA (Incarcerated Graves)

The “Von World Pens Hall” is the only pen museum in Europe. Itscollection includes more than 2000 pens from all known penmanufacturers. Some of the objects in the museum date back tothe 15th and 16th century. In addition to pens, the collectionsof the museum also include Victorian era pencils, seals, inkwellsand typewriters.

ST. PAUL’S ANGLICAN CHURCH

Leoforos (Avenue) Dimostheni Severi 37Tel.: 99657448

Leoforos (Avenue) Lordou Vyronos Tel.: 22677897

VON WORLD PENS HALL

The dependency of Kykkos Monastery in Lefkosia wasestablished in 1890. It is a solitary institution, dependent on theMonastery of Kykkos.

KYKKOS MONASTERY DEPENDENCY (Metochi Monis Kykkou)

Prokopiou Street, Egkomi

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TOMB OF MAKEDONITISSAA military cemetery and war memorial, near the monastery of Makedonitissa. Officers and soldiers who died defending Cyprusduring the Turkish invasion in 1974 are buried here.

Makedonitissa area, 3km west of Lefkosia

GREATER LEFKOSIA DISTRICT AREAWEST

The church is dedicated to Saints Barnabas and Hilarion. It was probably built in the 9th or 10th century and is an outstandingexample of Cypriot Byzantine architecture. Next to the church lies the Turkish mosque of Peristerona, one of many visible evidencesof the peaceful coexistence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots prior to the 1974 Turkish invasion.

The church of the monastery dates to the Byzantine period. Itwas rebuilt in 1636 and in 1713 it came under KykkosMonastery. The monastery was founded by Archbishop Niki-foros, whose tomb can be seen in the narthex of the church. Theicon-stand dates to 1650. The monastery has a 1785 frescodepicting the Archangel Michael. Today the monastery housesthe Kykko Monastery Research Centre.

Lefkosia – Anthoupolis road

CHURCH OF SAINTS BARNABAS AND HILARION

An 18th century convent with a gabled roof, restored shortly after 1960.AGIOS PANTELEIMON CONVENT

1.5km northwest of Agrokipia village

ARCHANGELOS MICHAIL MONASTERY

Peristerona village, 27km from Lefkosia on the Lefkosia – Troodos road

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SOUTHWEST

This is the island's first geographical and natural history mu-seum. It was estab lished by the Strovolos Municipality. It dis-plays specimens of the island's flora, sedimentary andmetamorphic rocks and minerals, as well as historic andmodern maps and charts of Cyprus.

Strovolos MunicipalityLeoforos (Avenue) Strovolou 100

Tel.: 22470407

PANCYPRIAN GEOGRAPHICAL MUSEUM

AGIOS IRAKLEIDIOS CONVENTIrakleidios, the son of a pagan priest, was ordained Bishop of Tamassos by Saints Paul and Barnabas. He was martyred at the age of60 and buried in the cave where he had lived and from where he preached the Gospel. In 400 AD a church was built over his grave.The monastery was destroyed and rebuilt several times. Today’s buildings date back to 1773 when Archbishop Chrysanthos restoredthe church and convent cells. The saint’s relics are kept inside the church. Today the monastery functions as a convent.

Politiko village, 500m from the Royal Tombs Tel.: 22623950

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Tamassos, rich in copper ore, was an important city-kingdom inancient times. Excavations have brought to light the RoyalTombs, copper workshops and the Temple of Aphrodite-Astarte.Impressive archaeological finds from Tamassos are the six over-sized limestone statues dating back to the 6th century BC. Theyare now exhibited in the Cyprus Museum in Lefkosia. Tamassosis linked to the Aphrodite Cultural Route.

MACHAIRAS MONASTERYOne of the oldest and most important monasteries in Cyprus. Itwas founded by two monks in 1148, when a miraculous icon ofthe Virgin Mary was found in a nearby cave. During Ottomanrule it was an educational centre, as were the other monaster-ies of Cyprus. This is the cloister monastery of Archbishop Kypri-anos, who was executed by the Turks together with hundreds ofother clerics and laymen on 9 July 1821. The brotherhood fol-lows equally strict rules here as the brotherhood at Mount Athosin Greece.

Every year on 15 August and on 8 September a large religiousfair is held here. About 2km north of Machairas monastery liesthe hide-out of Grigoris Afxentiou, hero of the 1955-59 Libera-tion Struggle. On 3 March 1957 British troops surrounded hishide-out and called upon Afxentiou to surrender. He refused andafter 7 hours of battle the British poured petrol into the hide-out and blew it up. Afxentiou perished. Personal belongings ofthe hero are exhibited in a special museum.

The vestry of Machairas monastery, which is situated in thebasement, has been restored and set up thanks to a donationby the A. G. Leventis Foundation. It consists of the originalmonks’ cells, as well as restored stables and storehouses. Thevestry maintains a room where the old books and manuscriptsof the monastery are kept, exhibition areas and storage roomswith icons and ecclesiastic objects.

40km south of Lefkosia through the village of DefteraTel.: 22359334

POLITIKO - ROYAL TOMBS OF TAMASSOS

Politiko village, 17km southwest of LefkosiaTel.: 22622619

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This church in the shape of a catacomb is built inside a naturalcave and is dedicated to the ‘Lady of the Golden Cave’. The churchpossibly dates back to the early Christian period. This type ofchurch is rare in Cyprus but common in the Near East. Sadly thedecorated walls of the cave have suffered great damage and thefrescoes are no longer visible. A large religious festival is held on15 August, the day of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary.

FIKARDOU VILLAGE AND RURAL MUSEUM

Machairas-Lefkosia road via Klirou, 1km east of the village of Gourri Tel.: 22634731

Deserted at the beginning of the 19th century, the village of Fikardou has been declared an “ancient monument” and carefully restoredto preserve its 18th century houses with their remark able woodwork and folk architecture. The “House of Katsinioros” and the “Houseof Achilleas Dimitri”, sections of which date back to the 16th century, have been restored and constitute a vivid example ofrural Cypriot architecture. These buildings house the Rural Museum. In 1987 the village received the “Europa Nostra”Award.

PANAGIA CHRYSOSPILIOTISSA CHURCH

Near Kato Deftera Village, 11km southwest of Lefkosia

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Athalassa Visitor CentreLeoforos (Avenue) Keryneias 1, AglantziaTel.: 22462943

SOUTH

The early industrial workshop of Agia Varvara is unique in Cyprus. It combines the traditional house with the place of work. The work-shop uses equipment from the 1920s, such as a flourmill, olive press and wine press.

To arrange a visit call Tel.: 99888070

The Cyprus Museum of Natural History was founded by “ThePhotos Photiades Charity, Scientific and Cultural Foundation”. Itis the largest museum of its kind in Cyprus. Most of the mu-seum's approximately 2500 exhibits consist of stuffed mam-mals, birds, fish, reptiles and insects, as well as rocks, minerals,semiprecious stones, shells and fossils.

Photos Photiades Breweries LtdThe Cyprus Carlsberg BreweryOld Lefkosia - Lemesos roadLakkia (Latsia) areaTo arrange a visit call Tel.: 22585834, 22585858

CYPRUS MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

AGIA VARVARA VILLAGE: EARLY-INDUSTRIAL MUSEUM

Athalassa park has a Visitor’s Centre that provides informationabout the environmental features of the park. A scale modelreplica of the park shows its basic natural features, vegetationand recreational facilities. Dioramas give three-dimensional rep-resentations of the area vegetation, birds, mammals and rep-tiles. Geological samples, fossils and related objects areexhibited in a separate room, while visuals are used to presentthe local fauna and flora.

ATHALASSA NATIONAL FOREST PARK

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DALI REGIONMonuments from all periods of Cyprus’ history can be found in the region. In the town of Dali lies the archaeological site of ancientIdalion, one of the city-kingdoms of ancient Cyprus. The region is linked with the Aphrodite cultural route. Its strategic position, thepresence of water and fertile land were factors that contributed to the area’s flourishing between the 8th and 5th centuries BC.According to legend, Dali is where Adonis, Aphrodite’s lover, was killed by her jealous lover Aris, the Olympian god of war.

The Byzantine church of Agioi Apostoloi is situated at Pera Chorio in the Dali region. It contains some of the most exquisite frescoesfound in Cyprus, dating back to the late 12th century and considered to be some of the most beautiful examples of Comnenian art. Ofinterest is the church of Agios Demetrianos (13th century).

Medieval ruins can be found in the region of the village of Potamia, including those of a summer palace of the Frankish kings andqueens of Cyprus and a Gothic church.

About 20km south of Lefkosia, on the Lefkosia-Larnaka/Lemesos (Limassol) road

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LEMESOS 35


LEMESOS(LIMASSOL)

Public library

Lemesos, the second largest city of the island, liesbetween two ancient city-kingdoms: Amathous to theeast and Kourion to the west. The city developed afterthe destruction of Amathous by Richard the Lionheartin 1191. Many important antiquities, Byzantine andFrankish monuments are found in the city of Lemesos,evidence of its long history. Today Lemesos is theisland’s main port, the centre of Cyprus’ wine industryand a major tourist resort. The city is also known for itslively Carnival celebra tions, the annual Wine Festivaland the traditional, sponta neous hospi tality of itsinhabitants. In the nearby mountainous regions of thedistrict one finds beautiful wine producing villages, thecosmopolitan mountain resort of Platres and thepicturesque region of Pitsilia.

Visitors to Lemesos can get to know the city bytaking part in free organised walks held everyMonday.

Starting point:CTO Information Office - Spyrou Araouzou 115Time: 10:00 am Tel.: 25362756

Germasogeia Municipality also offers free organisedwalks, so visitors can get to know the village and theenvironment of the area, every Wednesday (October toApril).

Starting point:CTO Information Office, Germasogeia - Georgiou A’ 22Time: 10:00 am Tel.: 25323211

LEMESOS - PLACES OF INTEREST36


LEMESOS MEDIEVAL CASTLE / MUSEUM

PLACES OF INTEREST

Richardou & Berengarias, near the old port Tel: 25305419

The Carob Mill was built in 1900, at a time when carobs were amajor export of Cyprus. They were used to make a wide varietyof products such as photographic filmplates, medicines, sweetsand chocolates. The machinery used in processing the carobs ispreserved and displayed in a renovated building, blending theauthentic atmosphere of the past with the sophisticated high-tech look of the present. The Carob Mill area has been dividedinto a complex of two distinct areas: the first area consists of therestored Carob Mill and the second houses the Evagoras LanitisCentre, an arts and exhibitions area.

CAROB MUSEUM

Vassilissis str., behind the Medieval CastleTel.: 25353939

Lemesos Castle was built in the 13th century on the site of an earlier Byzantine castle near the old harbour. According to archaeolog-ical sources, the castle was much larger in its original form. The Venetians strengthened its walls to ward off sea-pirates. Legend hasit that Richard the Lionheart, the King of England and leader of the 3rd Crusade, married Berengaria of Navarre here in 1191. In 1570the Ottomans conquered the castle and used it as a garrison and gaol. During British rule it functioned as a police station and brieflyas a detainment place. Today the castle houses the Cyprus Medieval Museum, whose exhibits include medieval pottery, superb silverByzantine era plates, tombstones, weapons, crosses and coins.

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PLACES OF INTEREST - LEMESOS 37


KEBIR MOSQUE (THE GREAT MOSQUE)Kebir Mosque was built in the 16th century and is still operational today. Recent excavations to the east have revealed the architec-tural remains of the 10th century cathedral of Agia Ekaterini. The mosque is one of the most important places of worship for theMoslems of Lemesos.

The renovated building housing the Municipal Museum showcases col lec tions of 19th and 20th century Cypriot folk art. Over 500 ex-hibits are displayed in six rooms. These include inter esting urban attire, traditional costumes, furniture, wood carvings, embroideryand jewellery. In 1989 the museum was awarded the “Europa Nostra” award.

MUNICIPAL FOLK ART MUSEUM

At the intersection of Genethliou Mitella Str., Zig-Zag Str. and Jami Str.

The Lemesos Archaeological Museum houses a rich and notablecol lection of antiquities from the Neolithic age to the Romanperiod, originating from excavations at archaeological sites inthe Lemesos (Limassol) region.

The exhibits are housed in three rooms and are divided intothree main categories. The first room contains pottery from dif-ferent historical periods, the middle room has coins, jewellery,lamps and a variety of copper tools and objects, while the thirdhas sculptures, tombstones, capitals, inscriptions and othermarble and limestone artifacts. Exhibits include a variety of ob-jects related to the cult of Aphrodite, such as fertility and othervotive offerings and female terracotta figurines. The museum islinked with the Aphrodite Cultural Route.

LEMESOS DISTRICT ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Anastasi Sioukri & Vyronos 5, near the Municipal GardensTel.: 25305157 LEM

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The church was built towards the end of the 19th century andearly 20th century, replacing an older 18th century church. It isdedicated to the Virgin Mary. According to tradition it takes itsname from an icon of the Virgin Mary, which was found in a glen(Napa in Latin means glen). Another source says that the churchowes its name to a temple built in the Frankish period, dedicatedto the Holy Nappe of St Berenice, known by the name of SaintNape.

AGIA NAPA CHURCH

Agiou Andreou Street

28 Octovriou 103 Tel.: 25586212

Sixteen sculptures made by local and foreign artists are exhibited in the park, the products of sculpture symposiums held from1999-2001.

SCULPTURE PARK

On the sea-front promenade

LEMESOS MUNICIPAL ART GALLERYThe gallery contains collections of paintings of well-known contemporary Cypriot artists, among them Adamantios Diamantis,Christophoros Savva and Telemachos Kanthos.

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The church was built in 1879 by architect Friar Francesco da Monghidoro from Bologna, following the architectural style for similarbuildings of that period throughout Europe. He used an interior baroque style, whilst opting for an eclectic design on the exteriorfaçade. The walls on the apse and its vault are decorated with neo-byzantine frescos, which were repainted during renovations in1979.

ST. CATHERINE’S CATHOLIC CHURCH

28 Octovriou 259 Tel: 25362946

GREATER LEMESOS DISTRICT AREAWEST

KOLOSSI MEDIEVAL CASTLEKolossi castle is a fine example of military architecture. Itwas originally built in the 13th century and rebuilt in itspresent form in the 15th century. After the fall of Acre in1291 it served as the Grand Commandery of the Knights ofthe Order of St. John of Jerusalem and in the 14th centurycame under the domain of the Knights Templar. Duringtheir stay in Cyprus, the Knights produced and exported asweet wine, which became known as the “vin de Com-manderie”. Today Commandaria wine is one of Cyprus’ tra-ditional wines and one ofthe oldest named wines inthe world, having had thesame name for eight cen-turies. Next to the castle arethe ruins of a 14th centurysugar mill.

MUSEUM OF STRATEGOS GEORGIOS GRIVAS DIGENIS The museum houses personal belong ings of Digenis, leader of the EOKA Liberation Struggle 1955-59. Next to the museum liesDigenis burial place.

Griva Digeni 70 (Hide-out of Digenis) Tel: 25582107

14km west of Lemesos on the road to Pafos Tel.: 25934907

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A traditional house with superb views over the bay of Agios Er-mogenis houses the local Archaeological Museum of Kourion.The exhibits consist of finds from the nearby archaeological sitesand include red polished ware of the Early Bronze age, potteryand golden jewellery of the Mycenaean era and a large numberof offerings from the nearby Sanctuary of Apollon Ylatis.

Episkopi village,14km west of Lemesos4km before reaching Kourion site

Tel.: 25932453

Kourion stadium, with a capacity for 6000 spectators, is the onlyancient stadium found in Cyprus. It dates to the 2nd century AD.According to archaeological sources, ancient pentathlon eventstook place here.

KOURION STADIUM

KOURION ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

The Wine Museum offers a unique opportunity to learn aboutthe history of wine production in Cyprus. The various stages ofwine production and consumption, as well as the various usesof wine, are shown through different presentations. Ancient jarsand canisters, medieval drinking vessels, old documents and in-struments illustrate the social, economic and symbolic aspectsof wine production.

THE CYPRUS WINE MUSEUM

Erimi village, on the Lemesos-Pafos roadTel.: 25873808

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20km west of Lemesos on the road to Pafos



KOURION ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITEKourion was an important city-kingdom in antiquity and one ofthe most impressive archaeological sites in Cyprus. The magnifi-cent Greco-Roman theatre was built in the 2nd century BC and ex-tended in the 2nd century AD. Today the theatre has beencompletely restored and is used for musical and theatrical per-formances. Excavations have unearthed the “House of Eustolios”,originally a private villa, which during the early Christian periodwas turned into a public recreation centre. It consists of a complexof baths and rooms with beautiful 5th century AD mosaic floors.The early Christian basilica dates back to the 5th century AD andwas probably the Cathedral of Kourion, with separate baptisteryon the external northern side. The “House of Achilles” and the“House of the Gladiators” were named after their superb mosaicfloors. Other parts of the town include private villas and an im-pressive Nymphaeum, dedicated to water nymphs. The Stadiumlies 1km to the west, on the right side of the road towards Pafosand dates back to the 2nd century AD. A roof structure allowsvisitors to enjoy the site all year round.

19km west of Lemesos on the road to Pafos Tel.: 25934250

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1. Pastelli Museum The Pastelli museum is a small museum depicting themanufacture of pastelli, a traditional sweet delight made fromcarobs.

2. Olive Park - OleastroEducational and fun park encapsulating 60,000 years of oliveculture. It houses an ecological oil mill, representations of abiological olive grove, as well as demonstrations of variousmethods of olive pressing from the beginning until moderntimes, agricultural activities and traditions surrounding theolive.

3. Church of Timios StavrosSituated south-west of the village, the church has 15th centurymurals of Palaeologue technique. The church is built in thenorth-east corner of an early Christian basilica that wasdivided into rooms known as monastery.

To arrange a visit call: 25222357

Tel.: 99525093, 99565768

Apollon Ylatis, god of the woodland, was the protector of Kourion. According to archaeological sources he was worshipped here fromthe 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. His sanctuary was an important religious centre. It consisted of Apollo’s temple, which hasbeen partly restored, pilgrim halls, the 'palaistra', a bath complex, and a holy precinct.

SANCTUARY OF APOLLON YLATIS

ANOGYRA VILLAGE

3km west of Kourion on the road to Pafos Tel.: 25991049



Situated at Akrotiri village the Centre has been operating since October 2004. It has an exhibition room, library, projection roomand observation kiosk. It offers educational programmes for schools on the history and habitat of the region. Visitors can viewexhibits related to the protected Akrotiri peninsula, the geological formation of the region and can admire the view of the nearbysalt lake.

AKROTIRI ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND INFORMATION CENTRE

Agios Nikolaos ton Gaton (St. Nicholas of the Cats) is possiblythe oldest monastery in Cyprus. The monastery chapel, whichdates to the 14th century, was abandoned in the 16th centuryand was reinstated by Orthodox nuns in the early 1980s. Ac-cording to tradition, the monastery was founded by St. Helena,mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, who left a piece ofwood from the Holy Cross there. During that period Cyprus ex-perienced a severe drought, as a result of which many peoplefled from the cape and the area became infested by snakes.Then Constantine the Great sent a commander to Cyprus calledKalokeros, who released thousands of cats to the Cape in orderto exterminate the snakes and thus save the area.

On Cape Gata near Lemesos (Limassol), south east of Akrotiri Salt Lake

Akrotiri village, 13km west of Lemesos (Limassol) Tel.: 25826562

AGIOS NIKOLAOS TON GATON CONVENT (ST. NICHOLAS OF THE CATS)

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Situated in the centre of Germasogeia village, the church of Agia Christina was built in the 12th century and was restored in 1996. Dur-ing the restoration work 14th and 15th century wall paintings were uncovered under the plaster and were restored. The small churchwhich also houses an ecclesiastic museum has a level roof, the result of subsequent structural interventions.

Amathous is one of the ancient city-kingdoms of Cyprus where,according to mythology, Greek hero Theseus left the pregnantAriadne to be attended by local women. Amathous was an im-portant site of worship of the goddess Aphrodite-Astarte. Ar-chaeological finds originate from several tombs, one of whichwas found in the front entrance of the present Amathus hotel,others at the Acropolis and the lower section of the town, and infive early Christian basilicas. The finds date from the Archaic tothe Roman and Christian periods. A pair of enormous stonevases, the largest ever discovered, were found here, one of whichis now at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The site is also linked to theAphrodite Cultural Route.

AMATHOUS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

AGIOS GEORGIOS ALAMANOS CONVENT

CHURCH OF PANAGIA IAMATIKI - ARAKAPAS VILLAGEThe church of Panagia Iamatiki is situated on the outskirts of the village of Arakapas. It is a three-aisled wooden roofed church andcontains sophisticated wall paintings of the early 16th century that are among the most important surviving examples in Cyprus ofthe Italo-Byzantine style of art. An extraordinary leather icon of the Virgin (in the nearby new church) is believed to have specialcurative powers.

Originally founded as a monastery in the 12th century, today it functions as a convent. The nuns, besides performing their religiousduties, spend their time with icon painting, cultivation of flowers and herbs and in the production of honey.

AGIA CHRISTINA CHURCH – GERMASOGEIA VILLAGE

To arrange a visit call Germasogeia Municipality: Tel.: 25879898

11km east of Lemesos city centre

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Kouris Valley, about 20 minutes from Lemesos (Limassol), has a number of important Byzantine monuments. They include the 12thcentury church of the Monastery of Panagia tis Amasgou, the church of Timios Stavros at Kouka village and the church of Archange-los at Monagri.The vaulted church of the Monastery of Panagia tis Amasgou dates to the 12th century and has a second roof made of wood and tiles.The church has a series of wall paintings from the 12th, 14th and 16th centuries. The monastery functions nowadays as a convent.The church of Archangelos at Monagri was built in 1740 on the foundations of an older monastery that had burned down. Of inter-est is its wood-carved icon-stand. The northern buildings of the monastery have been restored and turned into an art centre. The church of Timios Stavros at Kouka possesses a superb example of Palaeologue art in a 14th century wall painting. Also worth visiting in the area is the picturesque village of Laneia, beloved village of artisans.

The village of Fasoula dates back to the Middle Ages and is depicted on old maps of Cyprus with the name Fasula or Phasula. The mostlikely origin of the name is that it comes from the Frankish word “Fasoula” meaning scythe, the tool for harvesting. The AgriculturalMuseum is in a traditional house and contains agricultural tools, such as a plough, yoke, scythe and earthenware jars for everydayuse or for storing wine or olive oil.

Agricultural Museum

AGIA ANASTASIA CHURCH

KOURIS VALLEY

FASOULA VILLAGE

This is a complex of two churches. The older one, possibly dat-ing to the 12th century, is on the east side and is a cross-in-square domed church. The second church on the west side wasadded in the 14th century and built in the same architecturalstyle. The surviving mural paintings date to the 14th and 15thcenturies.

Polemidia village

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Krasochoria (The Wine Villlages)The area, known as the “Krassochoria” (the Wine Villages) is located north of Lemesos, on the southern slopes of the Troodos moun-tain range. Traditional forms of viticulture are still kept alive in these villages. Wine production is still the main occupation for most ofthe inhabitants. The area villages house various local wine museums, well worth a visit. This is the area which produces the island’srenowned dry red wine. The area is best reached from the Lemesos-Pafos road, turning right after Erimi village.

KOILANI VILLAGEKoilani is an attractive wine-producing village. On the outskirtsof the village sits the single-aisled vaulted church of Agia Mavridating to the 12th century, with wall paintings from the 15thcentury.The Koilani Ecclesiastical Museum was created by the Holy Bish-opric of Lemesos as a district branch of the larger Byzantine Mu-seum being planned in the city itself. It houses a collection oficons and ecclesiastical objects from the parish. The museum oc-cupies a two room building in the courtyard of Panagia Eleousachurch. The exhibits span a period of about seven centuries andinclude pieces of an icon-stand from 1735, icons dating from the13th to the 19th centuries, holy utensils and old books.

The museum of Viniculture (currently under refurbishment) ishoused in a traditional village house. Viniculture equipment anditems of folk art are on exhibit. In the yard, a large cauldron usedfor the preparation of the local beverage zivania can also beseen.

Ecclesiastical MuseumTo arrange a visit please call 25471008, 99608196

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The wine producing village of Omodos,built on the Troodos hillsides amidst ex-panses of vines, with its narrow cob-bled streets and the majesticmonastery in the village square, is oneof the most picturesque villages inCyprus.

Omodos was once the property of SirJohn de Brie, Prince of Galilee, as wasthe Monastery of Stavros (Holy Cross),in the centre of the village. The monastery contains old icons,excellent wood carvings and other ecclesiastical objects of in-terest, as well as a small museum of the national LiberationStruggle of 1955-59. An old wine-press known as Linos is ashort distance from the Monastery and is open to visitors.

OMODOS

ARSOS VILLAGEOne of the largest wine producing villages of Cyprus. There are two versions as to where it derives its name: one suggests it comesfrom the Holy Alsos (grove) of the goddess Aphrodite, where the village is built, the other that it was one of the four towns foundedby Ptolemy Philadelphos in honour of Arsinoe. It has been associated with wine production since ancient times. Nowadays most in-habitants still make their own wine, while the village womenfolk have a reputation for the special dishes they prepare using wine.The Folk Art Museum of Arsos is housed in a traditional house. Its exhibits present traditional village way of life.

Folk Art Museum. To arrange a visit please call: 25943223

11km southwest of Platres village

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FOINI VILLAGENestling in the heart of the Troodos mountains amidst green and fragrant pines is yet another picturesque village, that of Foini. Ac-cording to tradition, the village was named after a Frankish lord, Juan de Fejniu or Feniu, while another says its name originates fromthe Greek word for palm tree “foinikas”. The village is renowned for its pottery, for the manufacture of traditional furniture and for thelocal “loukoumi” (delight).

The Pilavakeion, a private museum of folk art, displays examples of local pottery, traditional agricultural tools and kitchen utensils.

Pilavakieon Museum (Pottery) Tel: 25421508

VASA VILLAGE

Ecclesiastical Museum. To arrange a visit one has to contact the village priest. Tel: 25944227

Vasa is one of the most important wine producing villages of the region with over 40% of its agricultural land being allocated to viti-culture. Some of the best red wines of the island are produced here. It is a picturesque village with cobbled streets and traditionalarchitecture.

The ecclesiastical museum of Vasa houses important icons and religious objects.

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Larnaka may pride itself for its contribution to the is-land’s rich cultural heritage. Built on the site whereancient Kition once stood, it is the successor of oneof the ancient city-kingdoms of Cyprus and the seatof Christianity from its earliest years. Kition was thebirthplace of Zeno, the Greek philosopher, whofounded the Stoic school of thought, and the secondhome of Jesus’ friend, Lazarus. The Achaean Greekssettled in the town in the 13th century BC, whilePhoenicians moved here from the 9th century BC. Inthe 18th century AD it became Cyprus’ commercialcentre, the place where all European consuls estab-lished their missions. The new city, Larnaka, has acharm of its own. In the winter months thousands offlamingoes, wild swans and other migrating birdsmake their annual stopover at the nearby salt lake.The district of Larnaka has many interesting placesto visit, par tic u larly ancient, Byzantine and Moslemmonuments, such as the renowned Hala SultanTekkesi.

Larnaka Municipality offers free walks through the oldcity, so that visitors can get to know its character andatmosphere. The walks start every Wednesday at 10:00am from the CTO Information Office, Tel: 24654322 andevery Friday at 10:00 a.m. from Larnaka Fort,Tel: 24304576.

Larnaka promenade “Foinikoudes”

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PLACES OF INTEREST

The magnificent 9th century stone church of Agios Lazaros wasbuilt by Byzantine Emperor Leo VI in the 9th century and restoredin the 17th century. The church is one of the most remarkableexamples of Byzantine architecture in Cyprus. Saint Lazaruscame to Cyprus after being resurrected by Jesus, was ordainedas Bishop of Kition by the Apostles Barnabas and Paul and livedhere for 30 years. His tomb can be seen under the sanctuary. Theicon-stand is a superb example of baroque woodcarving. Eightdays before Easter a procession is held during which St. Lazarus’icon is carried through the streets of Larnaka. Next to the churchis the Ecclesiastical Museum.

Plateia (Square) Agiou Lazarou Tel: 24652498

AGIOS LAZAROS CHURCH AND ECCLESIASTICAL MUSEUM

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The architectural ruins of the ancient city-kingdom of Kitiondating to the 13th century BC were found here. Excavations haverevealed cyclopean walls made of giant blocks of stone and acomplex of five temples. Nearby lay the foundations of theancient port of Kition, an important commercial centre inancient Cyprus. Of interest are the drawings of ships etched intothe walls of buildings. The site is a stop on the AphroditeCultural Route.

KITION ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

The museum collections consist mainly of finds from the mainNeolithic settlements of Cyprus, Choirokoitia and Tenta, and ofthe ancient city-kingdom of Kition. Faience, ivory and alabasterobjects are evidence of the commercial and international rela-tions between Cyprus and the regions of the Eastern Mediter-ranean. The museum is a stop on the Aphrodite Cultural Route.

IL MUSEO ARCHEOLOGICO DEL DISTRETTO DI LARNAKA

The bust of Athenian general Kimon, who led 200 triremes in 450 BC toliberate Cyprus form Persian rule can be seen on the palm lined seasidepromenade “Foinikoudes”. He perished during the siege of Kition.

The marble bust of Zenon of Kition at the city centre honours thephilosopher, who was born in ancient Kition, today’s city of Larnaka andwho founded the famous Stoic School of Thought in Athens in the 4thcentury BC.

THE BUSTS OF KIMON AND ZENON

Plateia (Square) Kalograion Tel: 24304169

About 500m from the District Archaeological Museum Tel: 24304115

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LARNAKA MUNICIPAL CULTURAL CENTREFive old British colonial-style warehouses, part of the old Larnaka Customs houses have been renovated and now make up the city’sMunicipal Cultural Centre. The Centre houses the Municipal Galleries, the Pierides-Tornaritis Palaeontology Museum and the MunicipalHistorical Archives-Museum of Larnaka.

Larnaka Municipal Gallery

The galleries display works of art by local artists.

Palaeontology Museum: Pierides - Tornaritis

The Pierides-Tornaritis Museum of Paleaontology is the only museum of its kind in Cyprus. It houses a collection of fossil life covering 500million years. Among the rare exhibits from Cyprus are bones from pygmy elephants and hippopotami, which became extinct on theisland at around 10000 BC.

Municipal Historical Archives - Museum of Larnaka

The Municipal Historical Archives – Museum of Larnaka is housed in the restored residence and offices of the first colonial Port Master ofLarnaka, built in 1881. It is situated next to the warehouses. The Museum of Larnaka is on the ground floor with exhibits on the history ofthe town of Larnaka. A large collection of coins from the city kingdom of Kition of the late 6th century and photographs of the city from1850 onwards, are among the most interesting exhibits. The Municipal Historical Archives which consist of rare books, documents andarticles are situated on the second floor and are accessible only to researchers.

Leoforos (Avenue) Athinon Plateia (Square) Evropis. Opposite the Marina

Tel: 24658848

Tel: 24628587

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Leoforos (Avenue) Athinon, Larnaka seafront Tel: 24304576

Originally built during the Middle Ages, the Fort took its present form during Ottoman rule. After the end of the Ottomanrule in Cyprus, the British converted it into a prison during the first years of their rule. Today the Fort houses the DistrictMedieval Museum, whose collection covers 15 centuries of history, from early Christian period to the 19th century. Theopen-air courtyard is used in the summer for functions by the Larnaka Municipality. Near the Fort is Tusla Mosque, whichwas originally a medieval three-aisled church.

THE PIERIDES FOUNDATION ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Zinonos Kitieos 4 Tel: 24814555

The Pierides Museum is the oldest private museum in Cyprus. It is housed in the ancestral Pierides family home, acolonial style building built in 1815. The museum’s comprehensive collection was assembled by the Pierides family andincludes some of the most representative items of the island’s civilisation. It charts its economic, social and culturaldevelopment over thousands of years. The objects on display dating from 4000 BC to the 15th century AD are an impor-tant testimony to a centuries old civilisation that flourished in Cyprus. Prized items in the collection are the red polishedware from the Early Bronze age, Roman glassware and medieval ceramic dishes. The museum is a stop on the AphroditeCultural Route.

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LARNAKA FORT - DISTRICT MEDIEVAL MUSEUM



ZACHOURI MOSQUEThe Zachouri Mosque lies between the Kebir (Buyuk) Mosque and the Church of Agios Lazaros on Nicolaou Roussou street. It was builtin the middle of the 19th century and is an important muslim religious centre.

The Kebir (Buyuk) mosque is probably the first Ottoman mosquein Cyprus. It was originally a catholic church dedicated to St.Catherine in the 13th-14th century, before being converted intoa mosque. The oldest reference of its existence is found in a 1747document of Bekir Pasha, creator of the Larnaka aqueduct,where it is specified that a public fountain there should receivewater from his aqueduct.This public fountain still survivesoutside the mosque today.

KEBIR (BUYUK) MOSQUE

Leoforos (Avenue) Athinon, opposite Larnaka Fort

The museum displays large collections of local reptiles, rareinsects, birds, animals, as well as fossils and marine life speciesfrom Cyprus and neighbouring countries. Of particular interestare the collections of insects and plants.

TUSLA MOSQUE

Leoforos (Avenue) Grigori Afxentiou (within the Larnaka Municipal Gardens)

Tel: 24652569

MUNICIPAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

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Situated in the old part of town, behind the ruins of ancientKition, Tusla Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Larnaka. Itshistory goes back to Byzantine times. The mosque was originallya Byzantine orthodox church, as can be seen by the wallpaintings in the building. In the 12th or 13th century it becamethe Catholic Church of the Holy Cross and was turned into amosque after the Ottoman occupation of 1571. The minaret isbuilt on the foundations of the original bell tower. Opposite thismosque is a Venetian period public water fountain. According tohistorical sources the Venetian governor’s building was situatednearby.



AGIOS GEORGIOS MAKRIS CHAPEL

TERRA SANTA CATHOLIC CHURCH

KAMARES AQUEDUCT

Kamares area on the road to Lemesos

Terra Santa, 8Tel: 24642858

This beautiful 18th century aqueduct consisting of a series of arches gave the area its name. It was built in 1746 by the Turkishgovernor of Larnaka, Bekir Pasha, who funded it out of his own sources to carry water to Larnaka from a source about 6 miles away.The aqueduct was abandoned in 1939, its function replaced by modern pipes.

This stone-built chapel of Agios Georgios dates back to the 13thcentury. It is built on a hill overlooking the salt lake.

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Terra Santa is the church of the Latin community of Larnaka.Franciscan monk Callixte Martel founded the church and theconvent in 1596, mainly to house Latin pilgrims visiting the HolyLand. In 1724 a larger church and convent replaced the originalbuildings, which in turn were demolished in 1842 to be replacedby the present church structures. The architectural style of theconvent combines Renaissance and baroque characteristics. It isalso known as Santa Maria delle Grazie.



GREATER LARNAKA DISTRICT AREAWEST

Larnaka salt lake is one of the most important habitats inEurope for water fowl. Scores of flamingos, wild ducks and otherwater or shore fowl find refuge here in winter on theirmigratory journeys. Archaeological finds show that the salt lakearea and that of the nearby mosque has been inhabited sincethe Neolithic age. In prehistoric times the salt lake was aharbour that served the town, unearthed here near where theHala Sultan Tekkesi mosque stands today. The town was one ofthe large urban and commercial centres of Cyprus in the LateBronze age (1650-1050 BC). When the town was abandoned,the estuary silted up, the natural harbour was destroyed and thesalt lake was formed. Salt was a valuable product of the lake, commercially exploitedfor many centuries. A nature trail has been created along thebanks of the lake connecting the area with the AphroditeCultural Route.

LARNAKA SALT LAKE

HALA SULTAN TEKKESI MOSQUE

This 11th century Byzantine church was erected over the ruins of anEarly Christian basilica. The original apse of the basilica has sur-vived together with one of the finest pieces of Byzantine art, a rare6th century mosaic of Virgin and Child between the two archangelsMichael and Gabriel. It is a rare work of art, equaling the mosaicsof Ravenna-Italy. Only in Cyprus and in Mount Sinai have mosaicsfrom that period been found. Similar mosaics are those from thechurch of Panagia Kanakaria in the occupied village ofLythragkomi, now on display in the Byzantine museum in Lefkosia(Nicosia).

ANGELOKTISTI CHURCH

5km west of Larnaka city, on the road to Kiti just after the airport

Villaggio di Kiti, 7 Km. ad ovest di Larnaka Tel: 24424646

LARNAKA

The mosque was built in 648 AD, on the spot where Umm Haramdied when she fell off her mule, during one of the first Arab raidson the island. According to tradition Umm Haram was related tothe Prophet Mohammed. Grand Chalif Moavia, who was takingpart in the expedition, immediately ordered the construction ofa mosque on the spot. It is now one of the most important holyplaces of worship for Muslims, ranked immediately after Mecca,Medina in Saudi Arabia and Al Aksha in Jerusalem. The mosquewas first renovated in 1816 and more recently in 2002 by UNOPS.



AGIOS GEORGIOS ARPERAS CHURCHThe church of Agios Georgios Arperas is situated about 2km from the village of Tersefanou, where once stood the medieval villageof Arpera. The church was built by the dragoman Christofakis Konstantinou in 1745 and has a fresco depicting himself and his fam-ily as founders. The church contains many icons signed by the painter Ioannikios.

CHOIROKOITIA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

32km from Larnaka or 48km south of Lefkosia on theLefkosia-Lemesos motorway)Tel: 24322710

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The Neolithic age settlement of Tenta is situated a short distance from Kalavasos village. It dates to 7000 BC. The settlement is cov-ered by a characteristic cone-shaped roof, which forms a contemporary architectural intervention in the landscape.

KALAVASOS - TENTA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

40km from Larnaka, 2.5 km off the Lefkosia - Lemesos motorway

The archaeological site of Choirokoitia has been a listed UNESCOWorld Heritage Site since 1998. It is a well preserved settlementfrom the Neolithic age. Remains from all phases of the Neolithicage are evident in the settlement, providing an insight of livingconditions in the region during prehistoric times. Five charac-teristic cylindrical shaped dwellings have been reconstructednear the settlement, using the same construction methods andmaterials used in Neolithic times. They are fitted with replicasof household objects found inside the originals, thus providinga vivid representation of how they appeared in antiquity. Thevegetation around the dwellings consists of plant species andnative trees that have grewn in Cyprus since Neolithic times.

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Lefkara is a picturesque village known for its lace, the famous“lefkaritika” lace, and for its silverware. Legend has it thatLeonardo da Vinci himself came here and bought an altar clothof the traditional lace, which he donated to the cathedral ofMilan. The village maintains its traditional architecture with itspicturesque stone houses. In the village one can visit the Mu-seum of Folk Art Embroidery & Silversmithing, the Wax Museum,the church of the Holy Cross and the chapel of the ArchangelMichael.The church of the Holy Cross is situated in Pano (upper) Lefkara.It has a beautiful 18th century icon-stand and a unique silver13th century cross.The church the Archangel Michael, in Kato (lower) Lefkara, is asingle-aisled domed church with wall paintings dating from the12th and 15th centuries.

Museum of Folk Art, Embroidery & SilversmithingThe Museum of Folk Art, Embroidery and Silversmithing ishoused in the restored Patsalos residence. Exhibits include ex-amples of traditional Lefkara lace.

8 km from Skarinou,off the Lefkosia – Lemesos road

or 40km from Larnaka

LEFKARA VILLAGE

Tel: 24342326

LARNAKA



KATO DRYS VILLAGE Kato Drys is the birthplace of Agios Neofytos, who was born in 1134. Of interest are the church of Agios Charalambos, built in 1897 andthe 16th century church of Panagia, which has recently been restored. Many buildings exhibit rural architecture, with hanging balconies,as well as doors and windows carved in relief.

Southwest of Lefkara village

Rural Museum (House of Gavriel and Eleni Papachristoforou)

The convent dates to the 15th century. It is a mixture of Byzantine and Gothicstyles. On the north and south walls are two large paintings of Agios Georgiosand Agios Minas dated 1757. The nuns here, in addition to their religious du-ties, practise icon-painting.

“Fatsa” Wax Museum

The Wax Museum displays wax figures of prominent personali-ties from Cyprus history and showcases scenes from the Ot-toman period (1571-1878), British rule (1878-1960), theLiberation Struggle (1955-1959) and the Turkish invasion (1974

SKARINOU VILLAGE

Tel: 24621048

The museum is housed in a restored house with remarkable woodwork, a prime example of local 19th century architecture.

AGIOS MINAS CONVENT

Near Lefkara village Tel: 24342952

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Tel: 24342648



CHAPELLE ROYALEThe chapel was built in 1421 by the Lusignan King Janus, who is depicted in a wall painting together with his wife, Charlotte de Bour-bon, on the eastern facade.

Pyrga village, 35km south of Lefkosia and 32km from Larnaka

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One of the most important Byzantine churches of Cyprus, possi-bly dating back to the 9th century. It is a three-aisled vaultedbasilica which once had a dome. It contains significant wallpaintings from the 9th, 11th and 13th centuries.

AGIOS ANTONIOS CHURCH

Kellia village

Stavrovouni Monastery is perched on a rocky peak 750m abovesea level. Legend has it that it was founded in the 4th century bySaint Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, wholeft a relic of the Holy Cross at the monastery. The monks havestrict rules like those at Mount Athos in Greece. Women may notenter the monastery. An impressive ceremony and festival isheld here on 14 September, the day of the Raising of the HolyCross. The monastery of Agia Varvara on the foothills ofStavrovouni is accessible to all visitors. The monks here areknown for their iconography skills.

Southwest of Lefkara village Tel: 22533630

STAVROVOUNI MONASTERY

AGIOS EFFIMIANOS CHURCHThe Byzantine church of Agios Effimianos is situated in the occupied village of Lysi. Its wall paintings date back to the 14th century.After the Turkish invasion they were removed from the church, smuggled and sold abroad. They were traced in Munich. The Cyprus gov-ernment and the Menil Foundation (USA) bought them back and agreed that they be exhibited in Houston for 15 years, prior to thembeing returned to the island. The Lysi villagers built this new church along the lines of the old one. Replicas of the famous wall paint-ings from the dome and apse are kept in its basement.

Kornos area, below Stavrovouni Monastery

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PAFOS

The entire town of Pafos is a listed UNESCO World Heri-tage Site. Pafos was the capital of Cyprus for a long pe-riod of time in antiquity. Today it is a charming town inthe west of Cyprus. Numerous archaeological sites canbe seen from the centre of the modern town down to itspicturesque harbour, as well as all along the coast. It isout of the seas of Pafos that Aphrodite, Greek Olympiangoddess of Love and Beauty is said to have risen, and itwas in Pafos that the worship of the goddess flourished.The charm of the goddess can still be felt throu-ghout the area. The Pafos region is surroundedby a beautiful coastline. Inland and in the mo-untainous regions lay superb monasteries and

tranquil villages, where old traditions and customs havebeen kept alive since time immemorial.

Medieval Fort

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Visitors to Pafos can get to know the city by taking part infree organised walks held every Thursday.

Starting point:CTO Information Office - Gladstonos 3(For reservations contact the Tourist Information Office,tel.: 26932841)Time: 10:00 am

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PLACES OF INTEREST

The Pafos District Archaeological Museum houses a collection offinds from the Pafos area dating from the Neolithic age to 1700AD. Of special interest are a set of surgical instruments and a raresculpture of warrior Aphrodite. The museum is a stop on theAphrodite Cultural Route.

PAFOS DISTRICT ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

The Byzantine Museum of Pafos has an important collection ofartifacts from the Byzantine period, including 7th to 18th cen-tury icons. In addition to icons, exhibits include wood carvings,ecclesiastical works of metallurgy, sacerdotal vestments and em-broideries, manuscripts, old printed books and frescoes. The mu-seum houses one of the oldest icons found in Cyprus, that of AgiaMarina, dating to the 7th or 8th century.

BYZANTINE MUSEUM

The Gallery exhibits a total of 43 works of art of local artists.

PAFOS MUNICIPAL GALLERY

Gladstonos 7 Tel: 26930653

Leoforos (Avenue) GeorgiouGriva Digeni 43Tel: 26306215

Andrea Ioannou 5Next to the Pafos Bishopric

Tel: 26931393

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The Ethnographical Museum is a private museum belonging tothe Eliades family. It consists of a collection of objects from theNeolithic age to the present day, including a collection of coins.

ETHNOGRAPHICAL MUSEUM

Exo Vrisis 1 Tel: 26932010

The Ottoman baths operated up until the 1950s. They consist ofa stone vaulted building with three areas: a reception area, anintermediate area and the main baths. The building has nowbeen restored and is used as the Pafos Municipality culturalcentre.

“LOUTRA” - OTTOMAN HAMMAM (BATHS)

Near the old market place

A small underground complex of chamber tombs from the Hellenistic period, which has been called the Chapel of the Seven Sleep-ers, or the Seven Maccabees, to which almost every medieval pilgrim paid a visit. The complex was first used as a Christian catacombin the 2nd century and may have served as a Jewish synagogue before that. It has 12th century frescoes and among the graffiti cutinto the plaster are the names of 13th century Crusaders. A “sacred” tree grows above which, according to tradition, is believed to curewhoever hangs a personal votive offering on its branches.

AGIA SOLOMONI CHRISTIAN CATACOMB

Leoforos (Avenue) Agiou Pavlou, Kato Pafos

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Kato Pafos, near the harbour Tel: 26306217

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Originally a Byzantine fort built to protect the harbour, the fortwas rebuilt by the Lusignans in the 13th century, but then dis-mantled by the Venetians. It was rebuilt by the Ottomans in the16th century when they conquered the island.

MEDIEVAL FORT OF PAFOS

Harbour-Kato Pafos

KATO PAFOS ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK

1. Mosaics

House of Dionysos, House of Theseus, House of Aion, House of Orpheus. The mosaic floors of these Houses, date from the 2nd to the 5thcentury AD. The first house was discovered accidentally by a farmer in 1962. The villas belonged to noblemen and the mosaics are con-sidered among the finest in the Eastern Mediterranean. They depict scenes from Greek mythology and are considered masterpieces of mo-

saic art. Some of the mosaicsat the House of Dionysos de-pict the god of wine, whilethat of Theseus depicts theclassical Greek mythologyhero brandishing a clubagainst the Minotaur. Themosaics are a stop on theAphrodite Cultural Route.

The inclusion of the Kato Pafos archaeological site in the UNESCOWorld Heritage Sites list in 1980 was the starting point for thecreation of a General Plan whose aim would be primarily to pro-tect and maintain the archaeological remains, as well as to pro-mote them and provide comprehensive information to visitors.Kato Pafos archaeological Park includes sites and monumentsfrom prehistoric times to the Middle Ages, while most remainsdate to the Roman period. The marvellous mosaic floors of fourRoman villas form the impressive epicentre of the finds. The com-plex includes other important monuments, such as theAsklepieion, the Odeon, the Agora, the “Saranta Kolones” (FortyColumns) Fortress, the “Limeniotissa” Ruins of early ChristianBasilica and the “Tombs of the Kings”.

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Kato Pafos Tel: 26306295

2. Pafos Odeon

The Pafos Odeon is a small 2nd century AD odeon built entirely of well-hewn limestone blocks. It is now used regularly for musicaland theatrical performances. Nearby are the remains of the ancient city walls, the Asklepieion, a building dedicated to Asklepios,god of medicine, and the Roman Agora.

3. Saranta Kolones (Forty Columns) Fortress

This Frankish castle was built by the Lusignans in the early 13th century on the site of a previous Byzantine castle and was destroyedby an earthquake in 1222.

4. “Limeniotissa” Ruins of Early Christian Basilica

The basilica dates to the Early Christian period possibly to the be-ginning of the 5th century. It originally comprised three aisles di-vided by two rows of marble columns, a single apse, a narthex andatrium. The floors were paved with brilliantly coloured mosaics ingeometric patterns. The basilica was destroyed during the Arabraids of the 7th century and a smaller version rebuilt in the 10thcentury. It was finally destroyed by an earthquake in 1159.

5. “Tombs of the Kings”

The “Tombs of the Kings” are one of the major archaeological at-tractions of Pafos. These monumental underground tombs carvedout of solid rock date back to the 3rd century BC and some are dec-orated with Doric pillars. High ranking officials rather than Kingswere buried here, but the magnificence of the tombs gave thelocality its grand name.

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The church was built in the 13th century over the ruins of thelargest Early Byzantine basilica on the island. St. Paul’s Pillar issituated in the church courtyard, where according to legend theApostle was flogged before converting the then Roman gover-nor Sergius Paulus to Christianity.

According to popular belief, the church was named thus, mean-ing “veiled by God”, because God sent down a fog cloud to protectthe original church during the Arab raids. The new church wasbuilt in 1923.

THEOSKEPASTI CHURCH

Kato Pafos

EARLY CHRISTIAN BASILICA-ST. PAUL’S PILLAR-CHRYSOPOLITISSA/AG. KYRIAKI CHURCH

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Kato Pafos



GREATER PAFOS DISTRICT AREANORTH

Founded around 1200 by Cypriot hermit and writer Neofytos. The ‘Enkleistra’, a cave that the hermit carved out of the mountains, iscovered with some of the finest examples of Byzantine wall painting that date to the 12th and 15th centuries. The monastery has anoteworthy ecclesiastical museum. The monastery church contains some of the finest post Byzantine icons dating to the 16thcentury.

AGIOS NEOFYTOS MONASTERY

9km north of Pafos Tel: 26652481

A combination of two churches, the eastern part of which wasbuilt in the 12th century, possibly on the ruins of an early Chris-tian basilica, as a cruciform church with a dome. An extension tothe west was built later in the 13th century with the addition ofa new cruciform with a dome. Rare 12th, 13th, 15th and 16thcentury wall paintings survive in the church.

CHURCH OF PANAGIA CHRYSELEOUSA

Empa village, 3km north of Pafos

Excavations in the village of Lempa have brought to five an im-portant settlement of the Chalcolithic age. Near the site replicasof five houses from this period have been reconstructed usingthe same materials and the same building methods as used inChalcolithic times (3900-2500 BC). The Chalcolithic settlementsite is a stop on the Aphrodite Cultural Route.

LEMPA VILLAGE

5km north of Pafos

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The Agios Georgios boat was used to import ammunition to be used in the Liberation Struggle 1955-59. It is displayed in a speciallycreated shelter by the coast of Chlorakas. Nearby lays the church of Agios Georgios.

CHLORAKAS VILLAGE

The archaeological site is a small settlement dating to the 12thcentury BC, the end of the Late Bronze age. According to arche-ologists, the set tlement has been termed a “colony” of the firstAchaean (Mycenaean) Greeks who migrated to Cyprus at around1200 BC, after the fall of the Mycenaean Kingdoms in mainlandGreece. This small museum with its unusual architecture was de-signed by Andrea Bruno, a prominent architect, Professor at theUniversity of Turin. The museum depicts the colonisation of theisland by the Greeks.

MUSEUM OF THE MYCENAEAN COLONISATION OF CYPRUS

Coral Bay, 9km from Pafos

Approximately 4.5km from the village of Pegeia, near the fishing shelter, lay the ruins of two early Christian basilicas with very inter-esting floor mosaics depicting animals. This must have been the site of an important early Christian settlement. Nearby are rock-hewntombs of the Roman period.

The picturesque “Pegeia fountains” of which many folk songs have been sung, can be seen in the pretty cobbled square of the village.

AGIOS GEORGIOS BASILICAS - “PEGEIA FOUNTAINS”

Pegeia village

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LAONA REGION

Tel: 26332562

Tel: 26332561

Tel: 26632024

Kathikas village Pano Akourdaleia village

Akamas

4. Kathikas village - Laona/Akamas Information CentreThe Laona/Akamas Information Centre is housed in the renovated school house, in the village centre.

The area near the town of Polis and the Akamas peninsula rising to about 600m above sea level is known as the Laona region. It in-cludes picturesque villages such as Ineia, Drouseia, Kathikas, Pano and Kato Akourdaleia, all with panoramic views across the area.

1. Drouseia village - Weaving Museum

Drouseia is one of the most charming villages in Cyprus. The museum has examples of old and modern weaving and knitwear.

2. Ineia village - Basket Weaving Museum

Like Drouseia, Ineia has spectacular views over the Akamas penin-sula and is perfect for walks in the countryside. The local museumhouses a collection of basketry.

3. Kato Akourdaleia village - Folk Art Museum

The local museum has examples of local folk art and crafts. Ineia Village - Basket Weaving Museum

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Drouseia village

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The northwestern peninsula of Cyprus, known as Akamas, is awild unin hab ited region with spectacular landscapes andbeaches, due to be designated a National Park. The area is namedafter Akamantas, an Athenian warrior and son of Theseus, whoarrived here after the Trojan War. It is a unique area of biodiver-sity, habitats and ecosystems. Almost all the geological forma-tions of Cyprus are met here, from narrow deep valleys, caves andislets to gorges, and there are over 500 different types of plants.The nature trails that cross the peninsula pass through unspoiledareas of extreme physical beauty. The area is ideal for hiking, cy-cling, diving and swimming in crystal clear waters.

The “Baths of Aphrodite” is an area in the Akamas between Polisand Cape Arnaouti. It derived its name from a small grottoshaded by an old fig tree, in the waters of which, legend has it,the goddess Aphrodite used to bathe. According to mythology,this is where she met her lover Adonis. The site is on theAphrodite Cultural Route.

“BATHS OF APHRODITE” - AKAMAS

The small town of Polis is the location where once stood the an-cient city-kingdom of Marion, an important commercial centrein the Classical and Hellenistic periods, with close ties withAthens. During the Hellenistic-Roman period, Marion was re-named Arsinoe. Polis has become a popular sea-side resort witha noteworthy traditional centre that maintains its beauty andmany of its traditional buildings.

1. Agios Andronikos church

This is a 16th century vaulted church in the middle of Polis withfrescoes of the same period. During the Ottoman period thischurch was turned into a mosque. A northern annex was addedto it and the frescoes covered up. These have recently been un-covered. Other churches in the region include the 16th centurychurch of Agia Aikaterini in the village of Kritou Tera, as well asthe 15th century church of Panagia Horteni in Pelathousa village.

POLIS

37km north of Pafos

Akamas regionNear Polis,

48km north of Pafos

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The museum consists of an interesting collection of antiquities discovered in the region where once stood the ancient city-kingdomof Marion-Arsinoe. The Museum is a stop on the Aphrodite Cultural route.

2. Polis Archaeological Museum Marion / Arsinoe

Leoforos (Avenue) Makariou III 26 Tel: 26322955

The museum is situated at the Holy Bishopric of Arsinoe. It housesone of the largest collections of icons dating from the 13th to the19th centuries, as well as wood carved ecclesiastic items, local andimported silver and metal artifacts, as well as local textiles. Rarebooks and manuscripts are also on display.

BYZANTINE MUSEUM OF ARSINOE

Arsinoe Bishopric, Peristerona village9km from PolisTel: 26352515

NORTHEAST

A cross-in-square domed church dating to the 12th century, withmany later additions, especially from the 15th century. It has afew surviving fragments of frescoes dating to the 12th century,the majority dating to the 15th century.

AGIOS KIRYKOS AND AGIA IOULITTI CHURCH

Letymvou village

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A complex of two churches, the oldest of which is a domed cross-in-square type building possibly of the 12th century. In the 18th cen-tury a barrel-vaulted church was added, which houses excellent surviving icons dating to the 16th century.

PANAGIA CHRYSELEOUSA CHURCH

Polemi village

To the northwest of the village there is an interesting group of buildings of traditional architecture known as the “Metochi tou Kykkou”.They are now used as a community cultural centre.

METOCHI IERAS MONIS KYKKOU (KYKKO MONASTERY DEPENDENCY)

Polemi village

Fyti village has been known for its own special style of weaving since medieval times. The textiles made in the village are known as“Fythkiotika” and stand out for their variety of design and rich colours. Examples of such textiles are exhibited in the museum whereone can also observe how they are made.

WEAVING MUSEUM

Fyti village Tel: 99824544

The village of Pano Panagia is the birthplace of the late Arch-bishop Makarios III, first President of the Republic of Cyprus. Hishumble house has been converted into a museum.

PANO PANAGIA VILLAGE

Western slopes of the Troodos mountains,1.5km from Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery

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Set in beautiful surroundings, the Monastery of Chrysorro-giatissa is dedicated to ‘Our Lady of the Golden Pomegranate’. Itwas founded in 1152 by monk Ignatios who found a miraculousicon of the Virgin Mary off the shore of Pafos. Legend has it thatit was thrown into the sea in Asia Minor during the iconoclasticperiod and drifted by the waves to Pafos.

The present building dates to 1770. An impressive religious cer-emony is held here on 15 August, on the occasion of Mother’s ofGod Dormition Day. The monastery Icon Depository includes animportant collection of icons, religious objects and artifacts. Themonastery’s old winery produces some of the best vintage wineson the island.

CHRYSORROGIATISSA MONASTERY

40km northeast of PafosTel: 26722457

Agia Moni Monastery is linked to the very origins of monasticism in Cyprus. According to tradition, the monastery was founded around300 AD by Agios Nicolas and Agios Eutykhios, as a place of prayer and contemplation. A sacred relic which had been given to AgiosNicolas and a piece of the cloak of the Virgin Mary were kept at the monastery until 1754.

AGIA MONI MONASTERY

Choulou lies 22km to the north east of Pafos. During the Middle Ages it was a well known feudal village, associated with the popu-lar Cypriot folk song, ‘Arodafnousa’. Significant churches in the village are the Church of the Panagia Pantanassa with 16th centuryfrescoes, the Byzantine chapel of Agios Georgios and the 12th century chapel of Agios Theodoros.

CHOULOU VILLAGE

An abandoned monastery on the banks of the Xeros river. Thecentral nave of the monastery, dating to the 16th century is ingood condition and is considered one of the most importantbuildings of the Venetian period. In 1997 it received the “EuropaNostra” award for restoration and conservation.

PANAGIA TOU SINTI MONASTERY

Near Pentalia village

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The name Geroskipou derives from the classical Greek "Hieros Kipos" meaning "Sacred garden". It is believed that in ancient times itused to be an extensive area of beautiful gardens, dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite. Today the gardens have been replaced by themodern village renowned for its "Cyprus delights" sweets. Geroskipou is a stop on the Aphrodite Cultural Route.

GEROSKIPOU

Tel: 26306216

One of the most interesting and beautiful Byzantine churches in Cyprus. It dates to the 9th century and is a three-aisled five-domedbasilica. Its frescoes date from the 9th to the 15th centuries.

Agia Paraskevi Church

Folk Art Museum

3km east of Pafos

The museum is housed in the 18th century “house of Hadjismith”. It carries a rich collection of Cypriot folk art and crafts consistingof pottery, kilims and scarves, as well as tools used in silk production. The building is named after Sir Sidney Smith, a British Admi-ral, who appointed the owner of the house, Andreas Zimboulaki, as British consul. Thus the house came to be referred to as ‘‘thehouse of Hadjismith.

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Palaipafos was one of the most celebrated pilgrimage centres ofthe classical Greek world and one of the city-kingdoms of Cyprusin antiquity. Here lie the ruins of the famous sanctuary ofAphrodite, whose remains date back to the 12th century BC. Thesanctuary remained a place of worship until the 3rd or 4th cen-tury AD. The museum is housed in a nearby Lusignan manor. Ithouses impressive finds from the region, dating from the Chal-colithic age to the Middle Ages. It portrays how the cult of thegoddess of fertility developed into the cult of Aphrodite. Exca-vations are continuing at the sanctuary, as well as in and aroundthe ruins of the town and the necropolis. The sanctuary is a stopon the Aphrodite Cultural route.

SANCTUARY OF APHRODITE AND PALAIPAFOS MUSEUM

Cyprus is renowned as the island of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. The “Petra tou Romiou” area is one of the most beau-tiful coastlines in Cyprus, where, according to mythology, Aphrodite rose from the waves. The Greek name, “Petra tou Romiou” (“theRock of the Greek”) is associated with the legendary Byzantine hero, Digenis Akritas, who, according to legend, kept the maraudingSaracen Arabs (7th-10th centuries) at bay with his amazing strength. With one hand he was said to have grabbed hold of the Kyreneiamountain range thereby forming “Pentadaktylos”, the Five Finger mountain, while with the other hand he heaved a huge rock andtossed it into the sea at the Saracens who were trying to land. The rock still remains and thus gave the region its name. The site is astop on the Aphrodite Cultural route.

“PETRA TOU ROMIOU” - BIRTHPLACE OF APHRODITE

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Kouklia village, 14km east of Pafos on the Pafos-Lemesos roadTel: 26432155

Pafos - Lemesos motorway, 25km from Pafos

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AMMOCHOSTOS(FAMAGUSTA)Agia Napa - Protaras (The Southeast Coast)

Golden sandy beaches abound on the eastern coast ofCyprus, in the free part of the Ammochostos(Famagusta) area. The popular holiday resorts of AgiaNapa and Paralimni-Protaras are a true paradise forlovers of the sea, watersports and night life. But there ismore to the area. Inland one can also admire a numberof Byzantine and Frankish monuments and museums.The magical landscape was an inspiration to GreekNobel poet laureate, George Seferis. Sights worthseeing include the medieval monastery at the centreof Agia Napa, the hundreds of windmills in thesprawling fields and the many Byzantine churches inthe Paralimni-Protaras region and in surroundingvillages.

The region is the main potato-producing area on theisland and is known as Kokkinochoria, meaning “RedSoil villages”, thanks to the fertile red earth in whichthey are grown.

The villages of this area are equally renowned fortheir folk poets and traditional song performers, whoare regarded as the most inspired on the island.

Visitors to Agia Napa can get to know the city by taking partin free organised walks held every Monday and Friday(November - March).

Starting point:CTO Information Office - Leoforos Kryou Nerou 12(For reservations contact the Tourist Information Office,tel.: 23721796)Time: 10:00 am

Agia Napa

Profitis Ilias, Protaras

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PLACES OF INTERESTAGIA NAPA

Pierides Foundation Kriou Nerou 14 Tel: 23816366

It is believed that a temple dedicated to Aphrodite once existedin the Cape Gkreko area. Cape Gkreko National Park is an area ofunique natural beauty, where one can admire magnificent cliffformations. Many of the 36 different orchid species growing onthe island are found here, as well as crocuses and irises. The localnature trail links the area with the Aphrodite Cultural Route.

CAPE GKREKO NATIONAL PARK

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1. Agia Napa MonasteryThis imposing medieval monastery, dedicated to “Our Lady ofthe Forests”, stands in the middle of Agia Napa surrounded by ahigh wall enclosure. Its 16th century church is partially under-ground, carved into the rock. The guest house to the east ofthe church belongs to the World Council of Churches. An an-cient sycamore tree, believed to be over 600 years old, grows infront of the south gate. 2. “Thalassa” Marine Museum

The “Thalassa” Marine Museum is housed in a modern multi-pur-pose building. Its theme is the sea and the marine heritage ofCyprus from prehistoric times to the present. Pride of placeamong the exhibits is a life-size functioning replica of a 4th cen-tury BC Greek trading vessel, the original of which was found offthe coast of Keryneia.

The museum’s collections include embalmed and preserved seaspecies, ancient archaeological artefacts, fish fossils, sea turtles,as well as contemporary sea shells and other sea organisms ofthe Mediterranean.

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1. Deryneia Folk Art Museum

Deryneia Folk Art Museum is situated in a beautiful old house,which serves as a charming venue for civil marriages. Its collec-tion consists of folk art items from past centuries.

2. Cultural Centre of Occupied Ammochostos (Fama-gusta)

The Cultural Centre hosts regular presentations and briefingswith regard to the Cyprus problem. Binoculars are available forviewing the occupied city of Ammochostos (Famagusta). There isalso a small photographic exhibition of the occupied city, as wellas a handicraft centre selling traditional items.

Demetri Liperti 2Tel: 23740353

Evagorou 35 Tel: 23740860

Sotira was an important village in Byzantine times. There are fiveinteresting Byzantine churches in the village, particularly as re-gards their architecture and beautiful wall structure. The churchof Agios Mamas is situated on the eastern side of the village andwas built in the early 16th century. Most of its wall paintings alsodate to the 16th century. About one kilometre to the west standsthe cruciform church of Panagia Chordakiotissa, the church ofAgios Georgios Hortakion and the church of Agios Theodoros (ofwhich only the narthex survives). In the centre of the villagestands the church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour (13th -16th century) with excellent examples of post-Comnenian art(early 13th century).Ecclesiastical Museum

An old chapel has been turned into a museum to house a smallbut important collection of ecclesiastic artefacts and icons, suchas a 15th century icon of Christ.

To arrange a visit tel: 23823932

SOTIRA VILLAGE

DERYNEIADeryneia has three important churches - the small medieval domed church of Agios Georgios dating to the 17th century, the 15th cen-tury chapel of Agia Marina, and a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Panagia) which has two exquisite 17th century icons. From thehill to the north of the village one can view the occupied city of Ammochostos (Famagusta), once the most popular holiday resort inCyprus.

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The village of Frenaros has a number of small Byzantine churches,such as the churches of the Archangelos Michael and of Agios An-dronikos, which date to the 12th century. Also of interest is the15th century church of Agia Marina, containing some interestingfrescoes painted by different artists only a few of which survivetoday.

FRENAROS VILLAGE

Avgorou has many Byzantine and post Byzantine churches. Themain church of the village is dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul.Inside the church are two double-sided 17th century icons, oneof St. George and the other featuring St. John the Baptist. Thereis also an icon of Christ dating to 1629. Other churches includethe chapel of Agios Georgios and the chapel of Agios GeorgiosTeratsiotis.

The Avgorou Ethnographic Museum is situated in an old two-storey house. Its exhibits depict the way of life in the area of by-gone generations.

Ethnographic Museum Leoforos (Avenue) Karyon 52 Tel: 23923340

AVGOROU VILLAGE

PARALIMNI After the city of Ammochostos (Famagusta) was occupied by Turkish troops in 1974, this small township became the temporary ad-ministrative centre of the district. It has an interesting two-aisled church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, which is decorated with un-usual 18th century porcelain plates. Sections of the church that date back to the 13th century house a small ecclesiastical museum.There are a number of other interesting churches in the wider Paralimni area.

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POTAMOS LIOPETRIOU

In the village of Liopetri is a 16th century church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and a 15th century church of Agios Andronikos with anoctagonal dome and the remains of murals which can still be distinguished in the apse. Liopetri has an ongoing tradition for basketmaking. Near the village centre there is a barn, the location of one of the most revered memorials to the 1955-59 Liberation Strug-gle. Here on 2 September 1958 the four EOKA fighters Andreas Karyos, Elias Papakyriakou, Fotis Pittas and Christos Samaras died aftera long battle against British troops.

LIOPETRI VILLAGE

An old chapel has been turned into a museum to house a small but important collection of ecclesiastic artefacts and icons, such as a15th century icon of Christ.

The village church of Agios Georgios was built and decorated in the late 15th century. A new iconostasis was built in 1770 and laterthe church was turned into a monastery. The Annunciation and the Nativity are amongst the church’s most important wall paintings.

XYLOFAGOU VILLAGE

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TROODOS

Ten Byzantine period churches from Troodos arelisted UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Stavros

tou Agiasmati, Panagia tou Araka, TimiosStavros at Pelendri, Agios Nikolaos tis Ste-gis, Panagia Podithou, Panagia Asinou, Agios

Ioannis Lambadistis, Panagia (Moutoulla),Archangelos Michael at Pedoulas and Sotiros atPalaichori.

The imposing Troodos mountain range raises itshighest peak to 1951m above sea level and stretchesacross most of the southern and western part ofCyprus. This tranquil region provides a cool refugefor long walks in the summer among idyllic pinescented forests. Covered in snow in winter, it offersan opportunity for skiing and other winter sports.

Nestled in the Troodos mountains are some of themost beautiful hill resorts of the island, with moun-tain streams, Byzantine monasteries and picturesquevillages built on terraced hillsides. The Troodos areahas been renowned since antiquity for its rich mines.In Byzantine times it became a centre for art, asmonks and ordinary citizens built churches andmonasteries far from the Arab raid threatenedcoastal areas. The Cyprus Tourism Organisation, in co-

operation with the Forestry Department, has issueda publication with information on various nature trailoptions, many in the Troodos area. Besides theMachairas region to the east and the Troodos properregion surrounding the tallest peak of Mount Olym-pos (1951m), there are four other distinct regions,each with its own character and charm. These re-gions are the Pitsilia area to the east of Mount Olym-pos, the Solea Valley to the north, the MarathasaValley to the west and the Krasochoria region to thesouth (the northwestern part of Limassol district).

Kykkos Monastery

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TROODOS - PLACES OF INTEREST92


PLACES OF INTERESTTROODOS RESORT

Troodos Visitor Centre (Environmental Information) Plateia Troodous (Troodos square) Tel: 25420144

Troodos Visitor Centre is situated 200m west of Troodos square (Plateia). It is the first of its kind in Cyprus and provides information aboutthe Troodos National Park, its importance in the development of the region, the various facilities and activities available here, as wellas information about the mountain environment in general. The Centre has a reception area with information on the geology, floraand fauna of the Troodos mountain range. A nature trail where one can see a good sample of various plants and rock formations ofthe region is linked to the building.

PLATRES RESORTSituated near Troodos, Platres is the largest and most stylish mountain resort in the Lemesos (Limassol) district. Platres is a popularplace for excursions and a refuge from the intense summer heat. The beauty of the area was immortalised in a poem by Greek Nobellaureate George Seferis. Mesa Potamos monastery is an old monastery near Platres situated in an idyllic area with a small waterfall.

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PLACES OF INTEREST - TROODOS 93


EAST

The region east of Mount Olympos is known as Pitsilia and includes about 40 vil-lages. Its tallest peaks are Madari (1612m) and Papoutsa (1554m). The pictur-esque villages nestle on the mountainside amid vineyards, or are hidden invalleys, maintaining much of their traditional charm. The surrounding hills andvalleys are full of vines, almond, hazelnut, walnut and other fruit trees. Thechanging landscape, the variety of shapes and colours, the old churches andchapels and the warm hospitality of the local inhabitants make the Pitsiliaregion one of the most beautiful parts of Cyprus. The Pitsilia area is accessibleeither from Lemesos (Limassol), or from Lefkosia (Nicosia).

From Lemesos: Lemesos - Gerasa - Agios Theodoros - Agros road or Lemesos -Trimiklini - Pelendri - Agros road.

From Lefkosia: Lefkosia - Palaichori - Agros road or Lefkosia - Kakopetria -Karvounas - Kyperounta road

PITSILIA

In the village centre stands the small church of Agios Mamas built in 1455 and decorated with wall paintings signed by artist Phili-pos Goul.

LOUVARAS VILLAGE

Agros is in the heart of the Pitsilia region situated in a beautifulvalley with a dry climate and cool springs. The village was givenits name by forty monks who came to Cyprus from Asia Minorduring the iconoclastic period and named it after the place theyhad left behind, 'Megas Agros'. A 9th century monastery builtby monks from Constantinople once stood where the 19th cen-tury Byzantine style church of Panagia Eleousa stands today.Agros also has a museum of icons. The village is also known forits traditional products such as aromatic rosewater, 'hiromeri'(smoked ham), 'loukanika' (spicy smoked sausages) and'lountza' (smoked fillet of pork).

AGROS VILLAGE

48km from Lemesos (Limassol) via Gerasa – Agios Theodoros road

The Church of Timios Stavros Stavros and Eclesiastical Museum

The church of Timios Stavros (Church of the Holy Cross) houses the ecclesi astical museum which contains icons and religious objectsbelonging to the village churches. It also has a garden with traditional plants and herbs.

KYPEROUNTA VILLAGE

Tel: 25532253, 25813204 for visits

To arrange a visit call tel: 99318832

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As its name implies (‘palaio’ means old), this is a very old village.The village is mentioned in 13th century documents and it is be-lieved the King of Cyprus Henry II gave it to the Knights Tem-plars. Even today some of the surnames of the inhabitants haveLatin roots. The 16th century church of Panagia Chrysopantanassahas marvelous wall paintings.

Also worth a visit are the Liberation Struggle Museum in ahouse, which was once a hide-out for 1955-59 EOKA fighters, aswell as the Monument to the Cypriot Mother which overlooks theregion. The village is famous for its smoked ham and spicysausages.

PALAICHORI VILLAGE

45km from Lefkosia (Nicosia) on the Lefkosia - Agros - Lemesos road

15km from Agros village

1. The Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour (Metamorfosis tou Sotiros)

A listed UNESCO World Heritage Site, the church is an early 16th century chapel on the hill overlooking the village. Its interior is com-pletely painted with one of the most accomplished series of murals of the post-Byzantine period.

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2. Byzantine Heritage Museum

The museum is housed in a restored building. It exhibits Byzantine artifacts and icons from the churches of Palaichori and nearby vil-lages. The exhibits date from the 12th to the 17th centuries. They include silver and bronze work, wood-carving and textiles.

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PLATANISTASA VILLAGE The Church of Stavros tou Agiasmati About 3km outside the village of Platanistasa there is the renowned church of Stavros tou Agiasmati, a listed UNESCO World Her-itage Site. It retains the most complete cycles of mural paintings of the second half of the 15th century.

15km from Agros, 30km off the Lefkosia - Astromeritis road, turning left before Peristerona village (Orounta-Kato Moni-Platanistasa Tel: 22652562, 99587292

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LAGOUDERA VILLAGEThe Church of Panagia tou Araka

The 12th century church of Panagia tou Araka is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site. It contains some of the finest frescoes of the lateComnenian style (1192) comparable to those prevailing throughout Greece, the Balkans and Russia. The church along with thechurches of Asinou and of Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis, are considered to be the most important Byzantine period churches on the island.Visitors may ask the priest to open the church.

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15km from Agros village or off the Kakopetria-Troodos-Limassol road (Karvounas junction)

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SPILIA VILLAGE

The Church of Panagia Chrysokourdaliotissa

A three-aisled church with a steep pitched roof and flat roof tiles. It was builtin the 16th century as the chapel of a monastery dedicated to the Virgin Maryand founded by deacon Ioannis Kourdalis, according to the foundation stone.The wall paintings are from the same period, with western influences.

The icon-stand is a beautiful example of 16th and 17th century woodcarving,with icons from this period. Excellent examples of wood carving make up theold church pews, dating to the 16th century.

PELENDRI VILLAGEThe Church of Timios Stavros (Church of the Holy Cross)

The village of Pelendri was once the property of Jean de Lusignan, son of the Lusignan King of Cyprus, Hugh IV. There are two inter-esting churches in the village. One is the 14th century church of Timios Stavros with superb wall paintings of the Paleologian andother periods. It is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site. The other is the church of Panagia Katholiki in the middle of the village, whichdates to the early 16th century. It has paintings of the Italo-Byzantine style.

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Off Trimiklini - Lemesos road Tel: 25552369

Olive pressA single-room stone building with a pitched roof, restored by the Department of Antiquities in 1955. The 19th century wooden olivepress machine, as well as the stone olive mill and its millstones are well preserved. Tools for producing olive oil are displayed inside.Visitors may ask for the entrance key from the “Association of Expatriates and Friends of Spilia–Kourdali” building, next to the olivepress.

KOURDALI VILLAGE

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NORTH

The beautiful valley of Solea is situated along the main Lefkosia–Troodos road (56km from Lefkosia, 56km from Lemesos via KatoAmiantos).

The picturesque mountain villages of Galata and Kakopetria are popular hillside resorts with a range of hotels and restaurants, butthey also retain much of their traditional architecture. Both villages are famous for their Byzantine churches. Other charming villagesin the area are Evrychou, Flasou and Korakou.

SOLEA VALLEY

Kakopetria is a popular hill resort with a beautiful central squareand many traditional houses that have been restored. The oldquarter of the village is a listed area where old houses have beencarefully restored or reconstructed. The small 16th centurychurch of Panagia Theotokos still retains about half of its origi-nal wall paintings. The same applies to the church of Agios Geor-gios Perachoritis, to the east of the village dating to the early16th century.The Church of Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis

The church of Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis (St. Nicholas of the Roof)stands about 5km from Kakopetria. It once belonged to amonastery complex. It is covered entirely in wall paintings dat-ing from the 11th to the 17th centuries and is considered one ofthe most interesting Byzantine churches on the island. It derivesits name from its pitched wooden roof. The church is a listedUNESCO World Heritage Site.

KAKOPETRIA VILLAGE

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5km from Kakopetria village

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TROODOS - PANAGIA PODITHOU CHURCH (Galata Village)98


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PANAGIA PODITHOU CHURCH (Galata Village) - TROODOS 99


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GALATA VILLAGEThere are four painted churches in and around the village of Galata:

1. Nearby is the church of Panagia Podithou, which once belonged to a monastery. It was built in 1502. Its paintings are of the Italo-Byzantine style, which appeared on the island towards the end of the 15th century. The church is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site.

2. The church of the Archangelos Michael, or Panagia Theotokos, is a timber-roofed chapel, just below the village, painted inthe post-Byzantine style of the early 16th century.

3. The church of Agios Sozomenos, which stands in the middle of the old village, dates to the early 16th century and retains acomplete series of frescoes in the post-Byzantine style.

To arrange a visit please call 22922394, 96348896

4. The small church of Agia Paraskevi on the old Kakopetria-Galata road has paintings dating to 1514.

Another interesting place worth a visit is the old Inn, "the Hani Kalliana", which has been restored.

Panagia Podithou church

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Panagia Podithou church

PANAGIA ASINOU CHURCHThe Panagia Asinou Church is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a small church dedicated to the Virgin of “Phorbia”, with wallpaintings dating from the 12th to the 17th century, which are considered to be some of the finest on the island. The name comesfrom an 11th century BC Greek city called Asine.

Nikitari village 5km southwest of Nikitari village, off the main Lefkosia-Troodos road (via Vizakia-Nikitari), around 20km northeast of Kakopetria villageTel: 99830329

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WEST

Pedoulas is a hill resort renowned for its cherries. In the villageone can visit the Church of the Archangelos Michael, theByzantine Museum and the Folk Art Museum. 1. The Church of the Archangel Michael and ByzantineMuseum

The painted church of the Archangelos Michael is situated in thelowest part of the village. It is a listed UNESCO World HeritageSite and dates to 1474. It has a pitched wooden roof typical ofthe Troodos churches. The wall paintings are in the local post-Byzantine style that developed prior to Venetian rule.

Pedoulas Byzantine museum is located a few metres away fromthe church. It was established to house and preserve icons andartifacts dating from the 12th century. All the exhibits comefrom churches in the region.

Tel: 22953636

Tel: 22952140, 99348751

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MARATHASA VALLEY

PEDOULAS VILLAGE

Marathasa is a fertile valley, known for its cherry trees, situated on the northern slopes of the Troodos range. It is dotted with pictur-esque villages, such as Kalopanagiotis, Moutoullas and Pedoulas. It can be reached from the north along the Lefkosia-Evrychou-Troodos road and from the south along the Lemesos-Platres-Prodromos road.

2. Folk Art Museum

The Folk Art Museum exhibits depict the way of life, customs, traditions and history of the Marathasa village com munities. On vieware traditional rural objects, such as local dresses, wood-carved furniture and other household and agricultural objects.

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The Church of Panagia tou Moutoulla

The tiny 13th century chapel of Panagia tou Moutoulla has a steep-pitchedwooden roof and frescoes dating to 1280. It is a listed UNESCO WorldHeritage Site. The village of Moutoullas has an ongoing tradi tion for carvedwood en basins.

KALOPANAGIOTIS VILLAGE

69km from Lefkosia Tel: 99476149

The picturesque village of Kalopanagiotis is known for its healthy sulphur springs and for its church of Agios loannis Lampadistis.The Church of Agios Ioannis Lambadistis and Byzantine MuseumOriginally a monastery, today’s church of Agios Ioannis Lambadistis is a complex of three churches: Agios Irakleidios, Agios IoannisLambadistis and a Latin chapel – all under a single pitched roof. The church is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site. The church of Agios Irakleidios was built in the 11th century while its frescoes date to the 13th and 16th century. The templon isparticularly interesting, covered with gargoyles, including a heraldic Lusignan lion and Byzantine eagle.The church of Agios Ioannis Lambadistis was built in 1731. The saint’s tomb, which dates to the 12th century, can be found under thenarrow northeastern arch and the saint’s skull lies in a niche. The icon of Lambadistis dates to 1543. A very interesting Byzantinemuseum can be seen near the church.The Latin Chapel contains the most complete series of Italo-Byzantine paintings in Cyprus.

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MOUTOULLAS VILLAGE

To arrange a visit: Tel: 22952341

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KYKKOS MONASTERY AND MUSEUMThe best-known and richest monastery of Cyprus, Kykkos Monastery was founded in 1100 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It pos-sesses one of three surviving icons ascribed to Saint Luke. It is covered in silver gilt, enclosed in a shrine of tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl, and stands in front of the icon-stand. The museum is an integral part of the monastery and houses a priceless collection oficons, consecrated vessels, manuscripts and Cypriot antiquities.

The first President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III served as a novice here. At his wish, he was buried at Throni, a scenic location3km west of the monastery. Annual religious fairs (panigiria) are held at Kykko on 15 August and 8 September.

13km from the village of Pedoulas Tel: 22942736

Trooditissa Monastery is situated in a beautiful spot among pinetrees. It was originally founded in the 13th century, but the pres-ent church was built in 1731. The church contains a priceless sil-ver-plated icon of the Virgin Mary brought from Asia Minor. Themonastery is closed to the public.

TROODITISSA MONASTERY

5km northwest of Platres resort

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ROUTES104

ROUTESBYZANTINE ROUTE

Panagia tou Araka(Lagoudera)

Panagia Podithou(Galata)

Agios Nikolaos(Kakopetria)

Panagia Asinou

Timios Stavros

ch.haeloulas)

dria PlatresAgros

a

Solea

Pitsilia

istis

aas)

Stavr(

Peristerona

Astromeritis

Geroskipou

Kouklia

PAFOS

LEFKOSIA(Nicosia)

Panagia tou Araka(Lagoudera)

Panagia Podithou(Galata)

Agios Nikolaos(Kakopetria)

Panagia Asinou

Timios Stavros(Pelendri)

Nikitari

Sotiros(Palaichori)

Arch.Michael

(Pedoulas)

Agios NikolaosMandria

Kedares

Nikokleia

Platres

Laneia

Alassa

Agros

Marathasa

Solea

Pitsilia

Polis

Troodos

Agios Ioannis Lampadistis(Kalopanagiotis)

Panagia(Moutoullas)

KykkosStavros tis Psokas

Stavros tou Agiasmati(Platanistasa)

1

2

3

45

67

8

9

10

LEMESOS(Limassol)

Coral Bay

AREA UNDER TURKISH OCCUPATION SINCE 1974

Visit the famous Byzantine churches of Cyprus, with their rare icons and superb frescoes. Tenof these churches are listed UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Scattered throughout theTroodos mountain regions of Marathasa, Solea and Pitsilia, and set in beautifulsurroundings among the pine trees, they are bound to impress you.

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Road Network

PITSILIA1. Stavros tou Agiasmati2. Sotiros3. Timios Stavros4. Panagia tou Araka

SOLEA5. Agios Nikolaos6. Panagia Podithou7. Panagia Asinou

MARATHASA8. Agios Ioannis Lambadistis9. Panagia tou Moutoulla10. Arch. Michael

Area above this line, under Turkish occupation since 1974

ROUTES 105


APHRODITE CULTURAL ROUTE

Cavo Gkreko

Baths of Aphrodite

Amathous(Ancient city Kingdom)

Polis

CapeArnaoutis

Geroskipou

PalaipafosAphrodite’s Sanctuary(Kouklia)

Cape Aspron

Coral Bay

Petra tou Romiou

Akamas

LARNAKA

LEMESOS(Limassol)

PAFOS

LEFKOSIA(Nicosia)

Tamassos

SaltLake

Idalion

(Aphrodite’s Birthplace)

Lempa

Kition(Ancient city Kingdom)

Agia Napa

AREA UNDER TURKISH OCCUPATION SINCE 1974

Follow in the footsteps of Aphrodite, the mythological Olympian goddess of love and beauty andprotectress of Cyprus. The route focuses on the archaeological sites dedicated to the ancient cult ofAphrodite and includes Palaipafos (Kouklia), Amathous and Kition. These are linked to other sites andmuseums with artifacts related to the goddess. Wander through layers of history, culture and mythology asyou learn all about her birth, mythology, character, the rituals connected with her cult, as well as plants andseashells associated with her.

Road Network

Area above this line, under Turkish occupation since 1974

Church, Monastery

Archaeological site

Town

Village

Main Road

Motorway

Limit of area under Turkish occupation

†

KEY

DISTANCE CHART KM

LEMESOSPAFOS

LARNAKATROODOS

AGIA NAPAPOLIS

PARALIMNI

LEFKOSIA80 LEMESOS

152 72 PAFOS47 70 142 LARNAKA80 51 123 121 TROODOS81 107 184 41 163 AGIA NAPA

188 108 37 177 160 220 POLIS85 111 178 44 158 5 219 PARALIMNI

CYPRUS

CTO OFFICES108


CYPRUSCYPRUS TOURISM ORGANISATION19, Leoforos LemesouP.O. Box 24535, CY 1390 Lefkosia (Nicosia)Tel: 22 691100, Fax: 22 331644E-mail: [email protected]

UNITED KINGDOMCYPRUS TOURIST OFFICE17, Hanover Street London W1S 1YPTel. 0207 569 8800, Fax: 0207 499 4935E-mail: [email protected]

IRELANDCYPRUS TOURISM ORGANISATION71, Lower Leeson Str., Dublin 2Tel. 00 353-1-6629269, Fax: 00 353-1-6629270E-mail: [email protected]

ITALYENTE NAZIONALE PER IL TURISMO DI CIPROVia Santa Sofia 6, 20122 MilanoTel. 02 58 31 98 35, 02 58 30 33 28Fax: 02 58 30 33 75E-mail: [email protected]

GERMANYFREMDENVERKEHRSZENTRALE ZYPERNFRANKFURTZeil 127 - 60313 FrankfurtTel. (069) 25 19 19, Fax: (069) 25 02 88E-mail: [email protected]. 27, 10179 BerlinTel. 0 30-23 45-75 90, Fax: 0 30-23 45-75 92E-mail: cto_berlin@t—online.de

AUSTRIAZYPERN TOURISMUSParkring 20, A–1010 WienTel. (01) 513 18 70, Fax: (01) 513 18 72E-mail: [email protected]

FRANCE OFFICE DU TOURISME DE CHYPRE15, Rue de la Paix, 75002 ParisTel. (01) 42 61 42 49, Fax: (01) 42 61 65 13E-mail: [email protected]

BELGIUMOFFICE DU TOURISME DE CHYPRE DIENST VOOR TOERISME VAN CYPRUSAvenue de Cortenbergh 61, KortenberglaanB-1000 Bruxelles/BrusselTel. 02/735.06.21, Fax: 02/735.66.07E-mail: [email protected]

THE NETHERLANDSCYPRUS VERKEERSBUREAUKeizersgracht 635, 1017 DS AmsterdamTel. (020) 624 4358, Fax: (020) 638 3369E-mail: [email protected]

SWEDENCYPERNS TURISTRÅDSveavägen 66,111 43 StockholmTel. (08) 10 50 25, Fax: (08) 10 64 14E-mail: [email protected]

FINLANDKYPROKSEN MATKAILUTOIMISTOAleksanterinkatu 48B, 00100 HelsinkiTel. (0) 9-476 09 100, Fax: (0) 9-476 09 120E-mail: [email protected]

CYPRUS TOURISM ORGANISATION OFFICES

CTO OFFICES 109


CYPRUS TOURISM ORGANISATION OFFICESGREECECYPRUS TOURISM ORGANISATION

Voukourestiou 38, Kolonaki, Athens 10673Tel. (210) 36 10 178, (210) 36 10 057Fax: (210) 36 44 798E-mail: cto–[email protected]

37 Nikis Ave., Thessaloniki 54013, P.O.Box 50046Tel. 00 2310-242880, Fax: 00 2310-286881E-mail: [email protected]

SWITZERLANDFREMDENVERKEHRSZENTRALE ZYPERNGottfried Keller – Strasse 7, CH-8001 ZürichTel. (+4144) 262 3303, Fax: (+4144) 251 2417Geneva: Tel: (+4122) 741 33 03E-mail: [email protected]

UNITED STATES CYPRUS TOURISM ORGANIZATION13 East, 40th Str., New York, NY 10016Tel. (00 1212) 683–5280Fax: (00 1212) 683–5282E-mail: [email protected]

ISRAELCYPRUS TOURISM ORGANISATIONTop Tower-14th floor, Dizengoff Centre50 Dizengoff Str., - Tel-Aviv 64332Tel. 00-972-3-52 57 442Fax: 00-972-3-52 57 443E-mail: [email protected]

HUNGARYCIPRUSI IDEGENFORGALMI HIVATALH-1051 Budapest, Dorottya Str. 3. III floorTel. 00-36-1-266 6044, Fax: 00-36-1-266 6043E-mail: [email protected]

POLANDCYPRYJSKA ORGANIZACJA TURYSTYCZNAUl Piekna 20, 00549 WarszawaTel.+ 48 22-827 90 36, Fax: + 48 22-827 90 34E-mail: [email protected]

CZECH REPUBLICKYPERSKÁ ORGANIZACE CESTOVNÍHORUCHU Pod Hradbami 662/9, 16000 Praha 6 Tel. 00-420-222-253 097Fax: 00-420-222-251 639E-mail: [email protected]

MIDDLE EAST & ARABIAN GULF CYPRUS TOURISM ORGANISATIONAl Ghurair Center, Office Tower, No 436BP.O.Box 94670, Deira, Dubai, UAETel. (009714) 2277637, Fax. (009714) 2277638E-mail: [email protected]

RUSSIAN FEDERATION CYPRUS TOURISM ORGANISATION

Povarskaya 9, Building 2, 121069, MoscowTel. 007 495 223 9684Fax: 007 495 744 2955E-mail: [email protected]

27, Furshtatskaya street,191123 St. PetersburgTel: 007-812-332-58-08, Fax: 007-812-332-58-09E-mail: [email protected]

CTO OFFICES110


Lefkosia (Nicosia) Laiki Geitonia Tel: 22 67 42 64

Lemesos (Limassol) Tel: 25 36 27 56

Germasogeia Tel: 25 32 32 11

Lemesos PortTel: 25 57 18 68

Larnaka Tel: 24 65 43 22

Larnaka International Airport Tel: 24 00 83 68

Pafos Tel: 26 93 28 41

Kato Pafos Tel: 26 93 05 21

Pafos International Airport Tel: 26007368

PolisTel: 26 32 24 68

Agia NapaTel: 23 72 17 96

Paralimni-ProtarasTel: 23 83 28 65

PlatresTel: 25 42 13 16

CTO TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICES

NOTE 111


N O T EOn 1st January 2008, the Republic of Cyprusjoined the eurosystem and introduced theeuro as its official currency.

Production: Cyprus Tourism OrganisationHistorical text: Dr. Sofia Antoniadou

English translation: Marina Christofidou

Photography: Cyprus Tourism Organisation,Images of Cyprus Ltd, Cyprus Museum - Dpt of Antiquities,Action Photo Archive, Elias Eliades, Handicraft centre,Bank of Cyprus Cultural FoundationDesign: Square Dot LtdPrinting: A. Aloneftis LtdISBN: 978-9963-44-118-1

ENGLISH 09/2009

Every effort has been made in the productionof this publication, for the inclusion of accurateand valid information at the time of print.

Cyprus Online www.visitcyprus.com

The official website of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation provides compreshensive information on themajor attractions of Cyprus, complete with maps, an updated calendar of events, a detailed hotel

guide, downloadable photos, a travel planner to help you organise your trip to Cyprus and suggesteditineraries. You will also find a list of tour operators covering Cyprus, information on conferences and

incentives and a wealth of other useful information.

www.visitcyprus.comCYPRUS TOURISM ORGANISATION

10000 Years of History Cyprus

Documents

europa nostra

petra tou

stavros tou

panagia tou

late bronze

pitched wooden

5th century

early christian