AMATHONTE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

This 40-hectare archaeological site (Αρχαιολογικός Χώρος Αμαθούντας/Archeologikos Choros Amathountas, Amathous Archaeological Site) is the most important in the Limassol region along with that of Kourion. It houses the remains of Amathonte, the ancestor of Limassol, which was one of the ten city-states of Cyprus. Since 1975, the site has been excavated by the French archaeological mission in Cyprus. We recommend a late afternoon visit in summer, to escape the heat and enjoy the beautiful views as the sun sets over the heights.

History. The area was inhabited as early as the Neolithic period and on a permanent basis from the ^11th century BC to the ^7th century AD. The city was founded by a local tribe of Eteochypriotes and prospered thanks to the local exploitation of copper ore. As early as the Geometric period (1050-750 BC), links were forged with Greece, the Near East and Egypt. The city took off in the Archaic period (750-480 BC). It became a commercial hub and the capital of one of the Cypriot kingdoms, briefly coming under the control of the Neo-Assyrian Empire and probably Pharaonic Egypt. It was an important place of worship for Aphrodite, the Nymphs, Adonis, Heracles and other Egyptian deities. The early Classical period (480-310 BC) was marked by Greco-Persian conflicts. Amathonte was ruled by powerful kings who minted coins. It was the only major city on the island to remain loyal to the Persians. The Hellenistic period (310-58 BC) marked the end of the Cypriot kingdoms. Androcles, the last king of Amathonte, joined the other Cypriot sovereigns in fighting the Persians on the side of Alexander the Great. After his death, the city came under the control of Ptolemy, Alexander's general and founder of the Hellenistic Lagid dynasty in Egypt. The city declined and its port silted up. During the Roman period (58 BC - ^4th century AD), the city continued to decline, but was equipped with an aqueduct, waterworks in the agora and a monumental temple on the acropolis. Finally, the Byzantine era (^4th-7th centuries) saw the construction of at least five Christian basilicas. The city became a bishopric, but, like the rest of the island, suffered earthquakes (342 and 365) and Arab raids (649 and around 653-654). Over the following centuries, the site was frequently used as a quarry. Stones were used to build churches in the region, as well as for the construction of the Suez Canal (1859-1869). From the end of the Ottoman era (1571-1878), Amathonte also attracted the interest of antique collectors.

Visit. Even before entering the site, the piers of the ancient port (late ^4th c. BC) are visible beneath the sea. On the beach, a powerful wall from the Hellenistic fortified enclosure remains. Once past the ticket office, you can imagine the ancient gymnasium where athletes trained in the simplest of outfits. To the left of the entrance are the foundations of the vast port basilica (^5th century). To the north-west, on the highest hill, the acropolis (upper city) is defended by a wall built in the ^7th century. Above it stands the ancient palace of the kings of Amathonte, built in the ^9th century BC and reworked until it was abandoned in the Hellenistic period. Thick brick walls were replaced by ashlar constructions. Deep cisterns could hold vast reserves of water and grain. They are surrounded by small craft workshops (foundry, weaving) and an altar. The acropolis is dominated by the sanctuary of Aphrodite (^8th or ^9th century BC), built near a tomb from the Geometric period, the oldest vestige of the site. All that remains of the temple itself is an enclosure, an altar and one of two monumental vases from the Archaic period (the other is in the Louvre). A new Greek-style Roman temple dedicated to Aphrodite was erected in AD 70-100, flanked by a small pedimented chapel. Its four façade columns are crowned by capitals similar to those of the Khazneh in Petra (Jordan), unknown in the Greek world and of great purity of execution. Around the^5th century, the Roman temple was almost entirely dismantled, its stones being reused to build the three-nave basilica. In the eastern part, on the second hill, lies the agora (market and central square of the lower town), dating mainly from the Hellenistic and Roman periods. It is surrounded by porticoes on three sides. In the center stands a monumental square fountain dedicated to the cult of the Nymphs. In the north-western corner, at the foot of the hill, a reservoir fountain and a late basin dominate the square. Roman baths were built to the east. Elements of the wall are visible to the north, beyond which remain parts of the aqueduct. On either side of the enclosure, necropolises used until the Roman period have been uncovered. Also outside the eastern city wall are the ruins of the ^6th-century basilica of Agios Tychonas, dedicated to the city's first^5th-century bishop, Saint Tychon.