Historical Sites in Cyprus

Leyla · Mukhtar/is Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 612

I am very much interested in ancient historical sites in Cyprus. For me personally, the castle of St Hilarion leaves me feeling awe struck every time I visit. What are your favourites?

http://www.pbase.com/andronikkie/image/39641261

depurple · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 4:14 pm Post subject:

Lelay you asking me an impossible question: WHY?
I LOVE ALL CYPRUS PAST ANCIENT MONUMENTS!
I studied Archeology in 1980 until 1983 and I am also part of the Cypriot Archeology department at Latrobe Uni in Melbourne:
BUT before I tell you my favorite site let me tell you a little about St HILARION:
Hilirion was a hermit who lived in the castle and painted beautiful christian FRESCOES (Which have now been desecrated by the Turks)

This castle was also called SPITIA TIS REGINAS! Houses of Regina:
Reginas was a queen and she had 100 rooms in that castle: It is rumored that one room was FULL of treasure: Many have tried to find this 100th room:
Also when you go to the top and look South East you will see where the Turkish Army has a firing range BUT it was a leveled in around 1100AD and was used for Jousting: The King would look at the jousting from his Castle window:
The other 2 castles on the PENTADAKILOS Ranges are also very mystical: Kantaras and Burffevento!

OK the most intriguing for me in Cyprus are the MONOLITHS STONES!
They are like Stone Henge:
These magical stones are scattered throughout the island: Big Stones: Some weigh in the Tonnes:
They have different holes in them that you can fit through: Some where for fertility and others for women looking for husbands and other for curing sickness and other for producing milk!
These Stones have never been documented properly and not much is known about them: BUT they are all over the island!
Who put them there: WHO carved them and WHY?
cheers
PS It is also a very big shame that the Turks do not respect the ancient ruins in the NTH! (They do the same with most ruins in Turkey as well)
Many of theses ruins where built before Jesus and Mohammad:
I also like the way the the Turks have labeled ALL the Greek Ruins as ROMAN ruins and also ALL the Byzantium Churches as Latins churches?
Amazing!
cheers again!
PS again! I wonder HOW many ancient Icons and ancient Greek artifacts are being sold to tourist over the past 35 years??????????
How do I know?
I bought some in 1991 from a Turkish Cypriot in Kyrenia!

stavrizatz · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 5:18 pm Post subject:

Yes from all the places I've visited St Hillarion is perhaps the nicest but perhaps of its location. As or the historical site itself I like the ancient Curium

depurple · Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2007 11:18 am Post subject:

Important for Cyprus history is Chirokitia or Tenta because they where around the 7000/10000BC which is close to being one of the oldest settlement in the world!
One more interesting place in the KITI which the Phoenicians built: they also had an in land port which they used in winter for weather protection and also let it all dry up in summer so they could sell the salt!
cheers

Xenos 2Fan · Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 6:08 am Post subject:

repulsewarrior · Deputy Joined: 06 Jan 2006 Posts: 1742 Location: Canada

Leyla post a query, even dep (whatever) is most helpful and informative (regardless his opinions, he includes).

Read your post again Xenos, in my opinion it deserves a blue card because I have much higher expectations from you. Again, to repeat my self, you are frustratred, so are we all. Dialog is necessary. A new way of thinking is needed as old as the earth itself.

repulsewarrior · Deputy Joined: 06 Jan 2006 Posts: 1742 Location: Canada

I like the cats at Tekke, and the lake with its flamingos, in the spring time. I liked the market in Varosha, and Salaminas. Pentethaxtilo, and St Barnabas's grave are also important sites to be visited.

Leyla · Mukhtar/is Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 612

Thank you for posting some of your favourites DP, Stavri and RW. Xenos maybe you could share some of your favourites in Turkey? Ephesus is spectacular as are some of the Lycean rock tombs in Fethiye. The same applies to our Greek friends, we shouldn't necessarily restrict this thread to Cypriot architecture. For example, has anyone visited Petra in Jordan or the temples of Abu Simbel and the female Pharoah Hatshepsut in Egypt?

DP, there are also some amazing monoliths in Malta that are well worth a visit and I was very taken with Valletta as well actually, it's a beautiful city. DP, where were the frescoes you mention in St Hilarion?

Back to Cyprus! Nicosia old town intrigues me, especially the rabbit warren that is the Arabahmet area where the old two storey houses are being wonderfully restored. I'd very much like to visit some of the places mentioned in this thread so please keep them coming!

city · Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 1:57 pm Post subject:

True, St. Hilarion is very nice and also Bellapais. And contrary to what DP says both are very well preserved and maintained. Unfortunately the same can not be said about Salamis, however its a nice place as well.
I have not yet visited the castles of Kantara and Buffavento but I will do so in the near future.

Actually I like all historical sites/ruins, whereever they are. In the south there is Courium, Kolossi Castle, the 9000 years old ruins in Choirokitia, Paphos mosaics, the Temple of Apollo.

Especially fascinating are crusaders castles. I have seen a number of them in the mid east, in Syria for example and Lebanon.

And yes, Leyla I've been to Petra and its absolutely amazing!!!

depurple · Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 9:35 pm Post subject:

Leyla
there MUST be a connection between Malta and Cyprus in the past as there was with Cyprus and the Phoenicians: very fascinating things these monoliths!
Why make something that big out of stone in the middle of nowhere: Some say the stones where carried from miles away:
Cheers
PS there probably didn't think about sex and the Internet that much and had plenty of spare time to carve rocks!

Mete · Deputy Joined: 16 Aug 2005 Posts: 1150 Location: Boston

Leyla · Mukhtar/is Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 612

City, I am interested in Crusader Castles as well. Talking of Petra, I like the Indiana Jones movies quite a bit and especially the third one with Sean Connery where some of the filming is done on location at Petra. I hope to visit the site myself one day. Did you visit the Castle at Jbeil in Lebanon? It was lovely!

DP, what I liked a lot about Malta is that modern day life has been built around these stone monoliths in some places, for example in the grounds of the hotel we stayed at where the history of the stones was illustrated on a series of signs. There were quite a few of these sites dotted across the island. Gozo on the other hand had a much more varied climate and coastline, especially around the Azure window.

Mete, Buffavento is on my list this summer as is Kantara. I also particularly enjoy visiting the Apostolos Andreas Monastery as the panoramic sea views around it are amazing. There is something surreal about the whole place really. Hopefully I'll get round to some of the amazing sites in the South as well...

depurple · Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 7:35 pm Post subject:

Leyla
thanks for the info Malta is definitely on my next places to visit:

Just to let you know in the foyer of the Amathus Beach Hotel there is an ancient tomb: When you go to the Hotel you can also go into the tomb! Amazing:
What is really a shame is that they are cutting blocks of land in between the ancient ruins in Amathus!
We may say that the Turks have NO respect for ancient heritage BUT what about the Greek Cypriot having no respect for Greek Cypriot Cypriot?
cheers
Money Talks and Bullshit walks!

city · Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 12:22 am Post subject:

Mete · Deputy Joined: 16 Aug 2005 Posts: 1150 Location: Boston