WE COMPLETELY MISSED ANCIENT KOURION during our stay in Lemeso, concentrating instead on the Byzantine painted churches around Troodos. So we made amends on our way back from Pofos to Nicosia.
Christian Basilica
Kourion, high on the hillside overlooking the sea, probably existed from the time of the Neolithic village of Choirokoitia. It became a Mycenean settlement around 1300 BC and later prospered under both the Ptolmeys and the Romans. With the spread of Christianity in 5th Century, a basilica which still dominates the site was constructed, but pirate raids 200 years later put a slow end to Kourion.
Roman agora
Our first impression of Kourion was that the €4.50 admission was a bit steep. The visitor center, the restored Roman theater and the Annexe of Eustolios, nice as they were, were all that we could see at first. But Kourion is deceiving, much larger and more interesting than it appears from the road. The longer we looked the more we discovered, from the aforementioned basilica to the Roman agora complete with baths. And there were mosaics, too, both in the Annexe and in the aptly named House of the Gladiators. It was well worth the stop — and the price.
Lady with a foot (measure) Gladiators
