Today, we visited both Limassol and Kourion with an emphasis on learning about castles within the Crusader area along with ancient ruins from the Greeks. Through doing so, we were able to learn a lot about the culture and practices these people went through within this period. 

In Limassol, we visited Kolossi Castle. This castle was built in the 13th century by the French after being given as a gift from King Hugh I. We know this was built back in the 13th century due to the French coat of arms in paintings and on most of the fireplaces. This castle was extremely important to conquest throughout Limassol as it was utilized in every war. This was due to its location and crops. From the top of the castle, you can see the entire city of Limassol and it’s near the coast. Thus, allowing it to oversee vital trade routes and maintain control over the surrounding lands. Kolossi Castle also housed one of the largest sugar plantations in the 15th century. Within the 15th century, sugar was not cheap, so the production and export of sugar was a great capital development for those who controls it.

Next, we visited the Kourion archaeological site. The inhabitants of Kourion are believed they were descendants of Argean immigrants and associated with the Greek legend of Argos of Peloponnese. In 365 AD the city was destroyed by an earthquake leaving ruins. In the center of this site, there is a Greco-Roman theatre that was built in the 2nd century BC and improved upon in the 2nd century AD. Furthermore, many stone murals remain adding to the beauty of these ancient ruins.

Finally, we finished at the Limassol Castle. This was built between the 4th and 7th centuries and then was partially demolished by the Venetians. The castle was built back up under Ottoman rule and is how it remains today. Two noticeable things we found in the castle were the family plaques and a decapitated prisoner. Between the two castles and the ruins, this Saturday we learned a lot about important Cypriot culture.