In the United States, we have a diversity of cultures and experiences. Cyprus’s diversity is its history. I make this claim because of the castles that we discovered today. Our first visit for the day was to the Kolossi Crusader Castle. This castle was built, as the name suggests, by the Crusaders. This fact could be seen throughout the castle as every window was optimized to allow light to enter the building without affecting the safety of the castle. The most exciting part of the building was the structure. The main floor was oriented in a north-south direction, while the second floor was oriented in an east-west direction. Our tour guide alluded that this was so the structure could be held interlocked, giving a long-lasting building. The ottoman empire eventually took over this structure during the conquest, but unlike other structures, the Ottoman Empire left this castle untouched. One last note on Kolossi is that on the bus ride to the site, we passed through olive and orange farms that explain the delicious fresh orange juice I get to drink every morning.
Our next stop was the Ancient city of Kourioun. There were no buildings left standing in this city, but archeologists were able to uncover a large part of the city’s ruins. In the middle of the ruins was a large mosaic that was initially for the atrium of a bathing house. In the middle of the mosaic was the Greek word “KTICIC,” meaning creation in English. This word is fascinating because the bathhouse is in the style of Roman archwire from when they occupied the island. Yet, the term is still in Greek, meaning Cypriots always held their native language no matter who occupied the island. The Cypriots maintained the culture even as their history became more diverse.
Our final stop was at the castle of Limassol. The Crusaders made this castle, changed into a prison by Venencains, renovated by the Ottoman Empire, and reused by the British. It just shows how many historical empires converted in Cyprus, all delivered in this one castle. A last fun fact is Richard the lion heart married his wife at this castle and crowned her queen.
