DK Travel : Cyprus : History & Culture

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Richard the Lionheart

When the ship carrying Richard’s fiancée was driven by storms to Limassol, the English king (1157–99) seized Cyprus (see Historic Limassol).
Salamis

Graceful columns, rising from a honeycomb of toppled walls, mark the site of the greatest of Cyprus’s ancient cities. Founded more than 3,000 years ago, Salamis dominated the island until its near-destruction by earthquakes in the 4th century AD. Archaeologists have found Hellenistic mosaics, the remains of Roman baths, a fine amphitheatre and the foundations of two Byzantine basilicas.
Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates

Stone fragments and toppled columns mark the site of this 7th century BC shrine to the sun-god Apollo in his role as “Hylates”, or god of the woods and forests. It is one of many examples of the way in which Cyprus blended the deities of each new religion that came to the island with the cults that were already established. The site has been partially restored by archaeologists and treasures found here are on display in the island’s museums.
Selim the Sot

The Muslim sultan drove the Venetians from Cyprus after a 10-month siege.
St Barnabas

St Barnabas, with the Apostle Paul, brought Christianity to Cyprus in 45 AD.
St Barnabas Monastery

The imposing monastery with its sturdy dome was built in 1756, but its main attraction for Orthodox pilgrims was a much older relic: the tomb of St Barnabas, who brought Christianity to Cyprus. Within the monastery is an archaeological museum housing delicate Bronze Age pottery.
St Hilarion Castle

Built in the 11th century for the Lusignan kings and steeped in history, St Hilarion would be the perfect setting for a medieval romance, with its elaborate defences built around steep mountain crags. Legends, indeed, surround it, including tales of a hidden treasure-room, an enchanted garden, and stories of Byzantine treachery and medieval intrigue. It was last occupied in the 16th century by the Venetians.
Stavrovouni Monastery

This impressive monastic eyrie, founded by a Byzantine empress (the mother of Constantine the Great) is poised high above the coastal plains on a 700-m (2,300-ft) crag in the foothills of the Troodos mountain range. Still home to a community of 20 monks, it claims as its most holy relic a fragment of the True Cross – its name in Greek means “Cross Mountain” (see Stavrovouni Monastery).
Strovolos

The unique Pancyprian Geographical Museum – the only one of its kind in Cyprus – within an attractively restored traditional building is the main reason for visiting Strovolos. It is dedicated to the island’s geology, with displays of minerals, especially copper, which made Cyprus wealthy in pre-Christian times, and semiprecious stones. The town itself is built around the 18th-century church of Agios Georgios (one of half a dozen churches named after St George in this part of Cyprus). Like Aglandjia, Strovolos is now on the verge of becoming a suburb of Nicosia.
Tamassos

This site was known for its copper mines (see Tamassos).