Our first full day in Limassol consisted of guided tours of Kourion and Kolossi Castle, as well as an afternoon in Limassol Marina and the Old City area! On our tour through the archaeological remains of the ancient city of Kourion, we first visited the House of Eustolios’. This was originally a private villa before it was converted into a bathing complex for public recreation. It was interesting to learn how visitors transitioned from the cold baths to the warm baths to the hot bath and then back through until finishing in the cold baths. Some of the beautiful 5th century mosaics in the central room still remain visible from the boardwalk.
We then made the short walk to the majestic Greco-Roman theatre situated on the hillside with a striking view of the sea. It was cool to imagine what it would be like to sit in the theatre during ancient times and watch gladiator fights. It was also interesting to learn how the Romans built off the Greek amphitheater design and modified it based on different cultural priorities.
We then took a tour of Kolossi Castle which exemplifies the military architecture of the 13th century with its multi-level spiral staircases intended to help ward off enemy soldiers. Built entirely of stone, the castle once contained large facilities for producing sugar from local sugarcane. It was interesting to learn how the Knights Templar produced a sweet wine called Commandaria which is recognized today as the world’s oldest wine!
We encountered many stray cats roaming the streets of Limassol Marina and the Old City. Though we were advised not to pet them, most were quite friendly and one even joined us for lunch. It is rumored that the Roman Empress Saint Helena shipped hundreds of cats from Egypt to Cyprus in the 1st millennium BC to deal with a snake infestation. The cats were fed and protected by the monks and continue to be cared for by cat-caring organizations in Cyprus today.
