On our first day in Cyprus, we went on a guided tour of Kourion, Kolossi Castle, and also had a walking tour around the Old City. We traveled by bus early this morning and stopped by Kourion, a famous archaeological site. Our tour guide gave us many interesting facts about the place and the culture as well as the architecture of the houses there. As I was walking through what remained of the ruins, I learned that much of the houses that once stood there had been destroyed by an earthquake. We got to tour the House of Eustolios which is where I learned about the intricate details that went into building this house. Some examples include the mosaic tiling, the foot bath/cold baths, and the heating rooms. Then, we went to the outdoor amphitheater where we learned about the different entertainment and shows that people used to watch. Some included animal fights as well as orchestras and plays. The amphitheater is still occasionally used for entertainment even today. Kourion was at one point one of the islands most important city kingdoms!

After Kourion, we went to the Kolossi Castle which was used during the time of the Crusades. It was a place where both monks and soldiers shared and it was a former Crusader stronghold. I learned that there used to be a sleeping loft that was supported by wooden beams and that there was even a drawbridge at the entrance to protect from enemies. The rooms in the castle were quite large and it was pretty dark due to the limited amount of windows. At the front of the castle, there were many plants such as a bay leaf bush and beans known as carob which are often used as a substitute for chocolate!

As we continued to walk around the Old City I learned that a lot of the symbols and architecture that we saw in Cyprus correlated to some type of Christian influence. The arches and domes in many of the churches we saw were taken from the Byzantine era. Additionally, I learned that the mosaics had Christian symbols such as the fish, dove, and peacock. On my first day in Cyprus, I learned so much about the history and it was really exciting to walk around and explore the different sites.