VOUNI PALACE

This archaeological site (Vouni Sarayı, Ανάκτορο Βουνίου/Anaktoro Vouniou) is especially worth visiting for its great panoramic view over Morfou Bay. Situated 250 m above sea level, atop a small "mountain"(vouni in Greek), it is an ancient Phoenician fortress erected around 500 BC, captured in 449 BC by the Athenian general Cimon, then transformed into a megaron (palace) for the Greek nobles of the nearby city of Soli. Abandoned in the ^4th century BC, the site is organized into three tiered terraces. The highest was occupied by a Phoenician temple dedicated to Athena. Few remains remain, but the views over the coast and the islet of Limnitis are magnificent. The Greek megaron occupies the second and largest terrace and incorporates elements of the Phoenician fortress. It comprised 137 rooms: throne room, ceremonial halls, aristocratic apartments, bedrooms, vestibules, storerooms, baths, workshops and more. It enclosed a courtyard on three sides, accessed by a few steps. A stone carved in the shape of a pear has been placed on this esplanade. This, it is believed, served as a counterweight to a pulley system used to hoist goods and materials from the bottom of the "mountain". Finally, the dwellings were located on the lowest terrace, facing north-west and the sea. Built mainly of brick and dried mud, they were intended for the megaron's staff. Here again, the views are superb.