The Kourion Archaeological Complex is located near the village of Episkopi, which is part of the British overseas territory of Akrotiri, on the peninsula of the same name. It houses a British military base of approximately 1,300 soldiers. We will pass the barracks of this base on our left, approaching Kourion.
After crossing the border of the British enclave, we automatically pick up the BBCE radio from the car speakers and our watches go back 2 hours, adjusting to the GMT time in the UK. Despite the fact that we are de facto in Great Britain, the purpose of our trip is excluded from the management of the British administration and is an internally separated enclave, managed by Cyprus, in an already existing British enclave.
Kourion is actually not one, but three places that are part of this archaeological complex. Coming from the side of Paphos, we will first stop at the Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates, the second place will be the ancient stadium, several hundred meters away, or what’s left of it, but it is also worth stopping here for another reason. Finally, the third place is the actual ruins of the city of Kourion.
There is no clear data on the date of the city’s founding. It was probably 2000 BCE. At the same time, it is assumed that the city was founded by colonists from the Peloponnese and the city located on this peninsula – Argos, i.e. from the areas of ancient Greece, in the 13th century BCE.
Over the centuries, the city has emphasized its influential presence in Cyprus to such an extent that it has gained the status of a kingdom over a period of time.
During the wars, the strong status of the city allowed Kourion to conclude political or military alliances appropriate to it. Among other things, he supported the Persians when they invaded Cyprus and then stood by Alexander the Great when he waged a war with the Persians for… same Cyprus.
The greatest heyday of Kourion was in the first century BCE when the city was ruled by the Romans. Most of the monuments that have survived to this day that we can visit come from this period. On the other hand, the oldest discovered and preserved relics of the past date back to the 4th century BCE, i.e. from the Hellenistic times. As was the case in Palaipaphos, also here the end of the city was to be determined by min. series of strong earthquakes from the 4th century CE.
Visiting the archaeological complex of Kourion, if you go from Paphos, we start from the Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates, the god of forests. An admission ticket to this place costs € 4.50 and spend about 1 hour visiting this place.
The size of the excavations is not impressive, but on the spot, we can see quite well-preserved remains of the buildings that make up this sanctuary.
We can see here, among others, the remains of the houses of priests, public baths and the majestic temple of Apollo from the Hellenistic times, which were built by the Romans during the city’s heyday.
Over many centuries, where the origin of this place dates back to the 13th/12th century BCE. until the end of Roman rule, this place was an important centre of religious worship. 4th century CE numerous earthquakes and the development of Christianity, which forbade the worship of pagan gods, contributed to the fall of this sanctuary.
