We started off the day by visiting the Kolossi Crusader Castle in the Kourion Ancient City in the crusader period. As we approached the castle, we were surrounded by orange farms and grape vineyards. My favorite part of visiting the Crusader Castle was traveling to the top of the castle and seeing the surrounding the landscape around the castle. Standing on the roof made me feel like I had been transported to that time period and put into perspective what view the Crusaders would have seen at the time, especially toward the back of the castle where the city had yet to be built.

Then we traveled to Ancient Roman times to a civilization near the Agios Ermogenis Beach. There we visited the ruins of ancient baths and an amphitheater. Something interesting that our tour guide, Demeatra, mentioned was that looters and grave robbers had stolen thousands of Cyprian artifacts. Not only did they destroy century old structures to do so, they also robbed Cypriots of their cultural heritage. This is a shame because it has significant diminished our knowledge of the past and the evolution of Cypriot society.

Finally, we traveled to Limassol Castle which simultaneously represented the Frankish dynasty, Ottoman invasion, and British takeover. Although the castle was originally constructed by the Franks dynasty to serve as a castle, during the Arab raids it was converted to a dungeon. Therefore, the architecture on the inside represented both time periods. For example, the original arches for the castle was significantly wider; however, the Ottomans made the entrance smaller to better serve as a prison. The Ottomans also downsized the castle to make it easier to protect and use it as a prison. It was fascinating seeing how the architecture evolved over time to reflect the needs of the current rulers. It was almost as if, two cultures were melding together to create a living record of history. I also really loved seeing the collection of Cyprian artifacts in the basement because it gave a glimpse into the lifestyle of the Cypriots at the time.