History takes a huge part in Cyprus’s scenery. The ancient Greeks, Crusaders, Ottomans, and many more came through here. You know what? Many of them left their mark:
Kourion
At this UNESCO-protected archaeology park ‘Kourion’ there are 6000 years of humanity to observe. In the 1st century CE, the city is written about by Pliny the Elder, a Roman author. Most of the ruins that are to be seen are from that period. Roman structures such as theater and the bathhouse. In later centuries the city kept its claim to fame since it hosted the Episcopal precinct, seat of Kourion’s bishop, as well as two basilicas from the 5th and 6th centuries.
Limassol Castle
Built by the Lusignan royal house during the crusades, the castle stands strong for hundreds of years. It withheld many attacks from different empires throughout the ages, yet it maintained its stronghold presence.
Recently excavations revealed a Byzantine fortress and basilica built in the same location indicating the importance of the location.
In recent history, the lower levels of the castle became a prison, till about 70 years ago. Today there is a great historical exhibit on the premises.
Kolossi Castle
Although it is a small distance from Limassol, it is defiantly worth the visit. At this location in the year 1191, King Richard Lion-Heart married Berengaria of Navarre following his conquest of the island.
The castle was built in the 13th century by Hospitaller Knights, which later was taken over by Templar Knights.
Interestingly, you can find here the ruins of a sugar factory in this location, which was a very important industry for Europe during the Crusader times.
Sanctuary of Apollo
When in Cyprus, one must go see ancient Greek Mythology. People Who worship the god Apollo would come to this location to give offerings to the god. It was once the most significant religious site on the entire island. At this site, you can find the remains of the temple for Apollo. Just use your imagination and imagine people coming here by the thousands with a deep commitment to their faith to request savior and success from Apollo.
Paphos Archaeological Park
Beautiful mosaics, ancient villas, a Roman theater, and so much more to see. Paphos Archaeological Park is the place to go to see Greek Mythology and Well-preserved Roman structures. This location is fascinating, so much so that it is really easy to lose time here while you go back in time and witness history on site.
St. Paul’s Pillar
Back in the 1st century CE, it was very scary to try to spread Christianity to people who weren’t interested. This is the story of the Apostle Paul who came to Paphos to try to convert its ruler, for which he suffered 39 lashes. The pilar he was tied to during the lashing is in Panagia Chrysopolitissa church. Even though the pilar has gone through bad weather, earthquakes, occupations, and much more, it still stands with beautiful mosaics next to it to see.
Evretou abandoned village
A great way to understand Cyprus’s modern history is to go to this abandoned village. It’s a little bit difficult to get here, it includes going through dirt roads. When you get here you can find the remains of a village from the 1970s war. You can see dozens of abandoned Turkish Cypriot houses. Walkthrough the open fields and see the modern changes of the island.
Medieval Castle of Paphos
The changes that this place has gone through for the past 1500 years tell us the importance of the location. It was built originally by the Byzantine Empire as a fortress which was later reinforced to guard this area of the island. When the Venetians came, they took the stronghold apart, though the ottomans rebuilt it as the Castle we see today. Its purpose was to protect the island. Later it became a prison and a warehouse for salt and today it is a mere cultural landmark for you to enjoy.
Selimiye Mosque
In Cyprus, you can see churches that have become mosques. This mosque sits on the location of a former church built by the crusaders, St. Sophia’s Cathedral, converted by the Ottomans in the 16th century. You don’t have to be an Architecture enthusiast to understand immediately that this mosque is a former gothic church.
Famagusta Gate
Just before the Ottomans invaded the island, Nicosia’s defenses were boosted in an attempt to keep control of Cyprus. Famagusta Gate is the most impressive fragment of these old defenses and is an exact copy of the Lazaretto Gate, built by the Venetians on Crete. The gate was used by the British for storage and was restored in the 1980s as a tourist site for the neighborhood surrounding it.
Machairas Monastery
When driving 40 KM south of Nicosia you can enjoy extraordinary views of mountains and wildlife, and this ride will take you to a very special Byzantine monastery. The monastery is named after the painting of the Virgin Mary by the Apostle Luke, who was smuggled to Cyprus from an area in Turkey by a hermit. The monastery building is absolutely stunning set in magnificent scenery, and worth the visit even if just for a picture.
Büyük Khan
A Khan is a roadside inn commonly built in the Islamic world. This one was built nearly 500 years ago and is preserved very well. It is a great example of Islamic architecture from the 16th century. the khan is located in North Nicosia and can be a very interesting location to tour and shop After crossing the border into the North part of the city.
Kykkos Monastery
In Cyprus there are quite a few monasteries, however, Kykkos Monastery is extremely special. It’s on the top of a mountain at 1318 Meters high with amazing views around it and lots of fresh air.
the monastery possesses one of three icons attributed to Agios Loukas (Apostle Luke) the Evangelist. The icon is in a shrine made of tortoiseshell and the mother-of-pearl stands in front of the iconostasis.
According to tradition, Cypriot hermit Isaiah miraculously healed the daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (1081-1118 AD). As a reward, he asked for the icon. The emperor sent it to Cyprus, along with the funds to pay for the construction of a monastery where the sacred relic would be kept. The building we see today isn’t that building due to fires that ruined the monastery a few times over the centuries.
Larnaca Fort
a wonderful beachfront fort Built by the Ottomans in the year 1625, this was their main defense of the city. The four is the location of Larnaca’s medieval museum showing weaponry in black and white photos of the area. The most exciting part of this Fort is the cannons and the cannonballs which can be seen on location.
Hala Sultan Tekke
Just outside of Larnaca city in the middle of nature is this beautiful masque. This masque honors the prophet Muhamad’s wet nurse- Umm Haram. It is believed that Umm Haram fell off her donkey at his location and died, and in her honor, the Ottomans built this masque in 1816.