Archaeological Sites
Cyprus is an open-air museum with a 10,000‑year history.
1. Kurion (Kourion / Κούριο)
An ancient cliff‑top city overlooking the sea (not far from Limassol).
- Main sights: The Greco‑Roman theatre (fully restored, seats 3,500 spectators, used for concerts) and the House of Eustolios with mosaics.
- Fact: The city was destroyed by an earthquake in 365 AD.
2. Kato Paphos Archaeological Park
Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Paphos Mosaics (Ψηφιδωτά της Πάφου)
Considered among the finest Roman mosaics in the Eastern Mediterranean.
- Where: House of Dionysos, House of Theseus, House of Aion.
- Themes: Mainly scenes from Greek mythology.
Tombs of the Kings (Τάφοι των Βασιλέων)
A vast necropolis (4th century BC) right by the sea.
- Legend/Fact: Despite the name, no kings were buried here. It was the resting place of the wealthy aristocracy, and they were called “royal” because of their magnificence and Doric columns.
3. Choirokoitia (Χοιροκοιτία)
A Neolithic settlement (7000 BC). Also on the UNESCO list.
- Feature: Round stone houses resembling beehives.
- Where: Along the Nicosia–Limassol highway.
4. Salamis (Salamis / Σαλαμίνα)
The ancient capital of Cyprus for a thousand years. Located in the occupied territory (near Famagusta).
- What survives: Gymnasium with columns, huge theatre, Roman baths.
- Myth: Founded by Teucer, a hero of the Trojan War.
📍 In the exam: Were kings buried in the “Tombs of the Kings”?
Answer: No, it is the burial place of the aristocracy.
📍 In the exam: Which UNESCO sites are located in Paphos?
Answer: The entire archaeological park (mosaics and tombs).
🗺 Archaeological sites by district
The exam asks "in which district is X?" or "which of these is NOT in Paphos district?". ★ = one of the 12 sites the Department of Antiquities lists as open to the public (a closed list — all 12 are below).
Free areas
| Site | Greek | District | Nearest town / village | Hook |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★ Tamassos | Ταμασσός | Nicosia | Politiko (also Pera, Episkopeio) | Copper city-kingdom on the Pediaios; royal tombs; lions and sphinxes found 1997 |
| ★ Idalion | Ιδάλιον | Nicosia | Dali (Idalion municipality) | Legend: Adonis was killed here |
| ★ Kition | Κίτιον | Larnaca | Inside Larnaca town | Ancient Larnaca; Phoenician temple of Astarte |
| ★ Choirokoitia | Χοιροκοιτία | Larnaca | By the Nicosia–Limassol motorway | Neolithic round houses; UNESCO 1998 |
| ★ Kalavasos-Tenta | Καλαβασός-Τέντα | Larnaca | Kalavasos | Neolithic, under a cone-shaped roof; "tenta" = St Helen's tent (327 AD) |
| ★ Amathus | Αμαθούντα | Limassol | East of Limassol | Myth: Theseus left Ariadne here; ancient harbour (by Demetrios Poliorketes) now under the sea |
| ★ Kourion | Κούριο | Limassol | Near Episkopi | Theatre (3,500 seats); destroyed by the earthquake of 365 AD |
| Kourion Stadium | Στάδιο Κουρίου | Limassol | Kourion | The only ancient stadium found in Cyprus |
| Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates | Ιερό του Απόλλωνα Υλάτη | Limassol | West of Kourion | Apollo "of the woodland", protector of Kourion (on the Kourion ticket) |
| ★ Nea Pafos (Kato Pafos park) | Νέα Πάφος | Paphos | Kato Pafos | Capital of Cyprus 2nd c. BC – 4th c. AD; mosaics found by a farmer ploughing in 1962 |
| ★ Tombs of the Kings | Τάφοι των Βασιλέων | Paphos | Kato Pafos | No kings buried — high officials |
| ★ Palaipafos | Παλαίπαφος | Paphos | Kouklia | Sanctuary of Aphrodite; UNESCO 1980 with Nea Pafos |
| ★ Maa-Palaiokastro | Μάα-Παλαιόκαστρο | Paphos | Coral Bay | Where the Mycenaean Greeks first settled, c. 1200 BC |
| ★ Agios Georgios (Pegeia) | Άγιος Γεώργιος της Πέγειας | Paphos | Cape Drepanon | Three 6th-century Early Christian basilicas |
| Lempa | Λέμπα | Paphos | Lempa village | Chalcolithic (3900–2500 BC) — not Neolithic |
| Marion (Arsinoe) | Μάριον | Paphos | = Polis Chrysochous | City-kingdom rich in copper and gold (Limni mines) |
| Makronissos Tombs | Τάφοι Μακρόνησου | Famagusta (free area) | West of Ayia Napa | 19 rock-cut tombs |
❌ Mosaic houses — don't swap them: Dionysos, Theseus, Aion, Orpheus = Paphos. Eustolios (and the gladiator mosaic) = Kourion.
❌ Period pairs: Neolithic = Choirokoitia, Kalavasos-Tenta. Chalcolithic = Lempa.
Occupied areas (since 1974)
| Site | Greek | District | Where | Hook |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salamis | Σαλαμίνα | Famagusta | Near Famagusta | Founded by Teucer; Roman theatre for up to 15,000 |
| Royal Tombs of Salamis | Βασιλικοί Τάφοι Σαλαμίνας | Famagusta | Salamis | Real royal burials with sacrificed horses; ivory bed and thrones in the Cyprus Museum |
| Enkomi | Έγκωμη | Famagusta | Mouth of the Pediaios | Bronze Age copper port; abandoned 11th c. BC → Salamis founded nearby |
| Soloi | Σόλοι | Nicosia (not Kyrenia) | West end of Morphou Bay | Named after the Athenian sage Solon |
| Palace of Vouni | Ανάκτορο του Βουνιού | — (district not stated in sources) | About 7 km west of Soloi | The only palace of its kind in Cyprus |
| Lambousa | Λάμπουσα | Kyrenia | Karavas municipality | The "Lambousa Treasures" (Early Byzantine silver) |
| Sanctuary of Agia Irini | Ιερό της Αγίας Ειρήνης | Kyrenia | North coast | Terracotta figurines in the Cyprus Museum (Swedish Expedition, 1929) |
| Kyrenia Ship | Το Καράβι της Κερύνειας | Kyrenia | Inside Kyrenia Castle | 4th-century BC merchant ship |
📍 In the exam: In which district is ancient Amathus?
Answer: Limassol.
🏰 Castles
| Castle | Greek | District | Built by / when, hook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kolossi | Κάστρο Κολοσσίου | Limassol (Kolossi village) | Knights of St John (Hospitallers), 1210; their sweet wine became Commandaria |
| Limassol Castle | Κάστρο Λεμεσού | Limassol (old town) | Tradition: Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria here in 1191; today the Cyprus Medieval Museum |
| Larnaca Castle | Κάστρο Λάρνακας | Larnaca (end of Foinikoudes) | Ottoman, 1625; British gallows used until 1948 |
| Paphos Castle | Κάστρο της Πάφου | Paphos (west end of the harbour) | Harbour fort; British salt store until 1935 |
| Saranta Kolones ("Forty Columns") | Σαράντα Κολώνες | Paphos (north of the harbour) | Byzantine fort, destroyed by the 1222 earthquake; named after its granite columns |
| Kyrenia Castle | Κάστρο της Κερύνειας | Kyrenia (occupied) | Four towers over the harbour; EOKA prisoners held here; houses the Kyrenia Ship |
| St Hilarion | Άγιος Ιλαρίωνας | Kyrenia (occupied), Pentadaktylos | Named after a 6th-century hermit |
| Buffavento | Βουφαβέντο | Pentadaktylos (occupied) | Italian for "defier of the winds" |
| Othello's Tower | Πύργος του Οθέλλου | Famagusta (occupied), on the Venetian walls | Named after Shakespeare's Othello; Lion of St Mark over the gate |
The three Pentadaktylos castles: St Hilarion, Buffavento, Kantara.
⚠️ Sources disagree on the district of Kantara (and Buffavento sits on a district boundary) — learn them by range, not by district.
Walls, gates, aqueducts
| Monument | Greek | Where | Hook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venetian walls of Nicosia | Ενετικά Τείχη Λευκωσίας | Nicosia | 16th century; 11 heart-shaped bastions; 80 m moat; 3 gates |
| Famagusta Gate | Πύλη Αμμοχώστου | Nicosia | Largest of the 3 gates; first called Porta Giuliana after Giulio Savorgnano, who designed the walls |
| Paphos Gate | Πύλη Πάφου | Nicosia | Also "Gate of San Domenico" |
| Walls of Famagusta | Τείχη της Αμμοχώστου | Famagusta (occupied) | Fell to the Ottomans in August 1571 after a one-year siege |
| Agia Napa Aqueduct | Υδραγωγείο της Αγίας Νάπας | Famagusta (free area), Cape Greco–Protaras | Roman, altered under the Franks; watered the monastery |
| Kythrea – Salamis aqueduct | Υδραγωγείο Κυθρέας – Σαλαμίνας | Occupied | Took water from Kythrea (Chytroi) to Salamis; destroyed in the 7th century |
Aqueducts: Kamares = Larnaca (see Mountains, Dams & Nature), Agia Napa = free Famagusta, Kythrea–Salamis = occupied.
❌ Famagusta Gate and Paphos Gate are in Nicosia, not in Famagusta or Paphos.
Visiting sites and museums: tickets and hours
State sites and museums are run by the Τμήμα Αρχαιοτήτων (Department of Antiquities, Deputy Ministry of Culture). Not all are free — the July 2026 paper used exactly this.
| Fact | Detail (2026) |
|---|---|
| Single tickets | Kourion €4.50, Nea Paphos (mosaics) €4.50, Choirokoitia €2.50, Tamassos €2.50 |
| Free | The Cyprus Museum in Nicosia (Κυπριακό Μουσείο) — free entry, closed on Mondays |
| Passes (δελτία εισόδου) for all sites and museums | 1 day €8.50 · 3 days €17 · 7 days €25 (one visit per site) |
| Groups | Organised groups of more than 10 people: −20% |
| Winter hours | 16 Sept – 15 April (big sites 08:30–17:00) |
| Summer hours | 16 April – 15 Sept (big sites 08:30–19:30) |
| Closed for everyone | 1 January, Easter Sunday, 25 December |
| Holy Week | Main sites and museums close only on Easter Sunday |
📍 In the exam: Is entry to all archaeological sites in Cyprus free?
Answer: No — most charge a ticket (Kourion €4.50).
🏛 UNESCO in Cyprus
Three different UNESCO lists. Don't mix them up.
World Heritage List — 3 sites
| Site | Greek | Year | District |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paphos | Πάφος | 1980 | Paphos: Kato Paphos (mosaics, Tombs of the Kings) + Kouklia (Palaepaphos, sanctuary of Aphrodite) |
| Painted Churches in the Troodos Region | Ζωγραφιστές εκκλησίες της περιοχής Τροόδους | 1985 (10th church added 2001) | 9 in Nicosia district, 1 in Limassol district |
| Choirokoitia | Χοιροκοιτία | 1998 | Larnaca |
❌ NOT World Heritage sites: Kourion, Salamis, Bellapais.
The ten painted churches of Troodos
| Church | Greek | Village | Region | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis ("of the Roof") | Άγιος Νικόλαος της Στέγης | Kakopetria | Solea | Nicosia |
| Panagia Podithou | Παναγία Ποδίθου | Galata | Solea | Nicosia |
| Panagia Phorviotissa (Asinou) | Παναγία Φορβιώτισσα (Ασίνου) | Nikitari | Solea | Nicosia |
| Agios Ioannis Lampadistis Monastery | Μονή Αγίου Ιωάννη Λαμπαδιστή | Kalopanagiotis | Marathasa | Nicosia |
| Panagia tou Moutoulla | Παναγία του Μουτουλλά | Moutoullas | Marathasa | Nicosia |
| Archangelos Michael | Αρχάγγελος Μιχαήλ | Pedoulas | Marathasa | Nicosia |
| Panagia tou Araka | Παναγία του Άρακα | Lagoudera | Pitsilia | Nicosia |
| Stavros tou Agiasmati | Τίμιος Σταυρός του Αγιασμάτι | Platanistasa | Pitsilia | Nicosia |
| Metamorfosis tou Sotiros — added 2001 | Μεταμόρφωσις του Σωτήρος | Palaichori | Pitsilia | Nicosia |
| Timios Stavros (Holy Cross) | Τίμιος Σταυρός | Pelendri (Πελέντρι) | Pitsilia | Limassol — the only one |
Tentative List — candidates, NOT inscribed
| Item | Greek | Year submitted | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panagia Angeloktisti church | Παναγία Αγγελόκτιστη | 2015 | Kiti, Larnaca district; 6th-century apse mosaic of the Virgin |
| Hala Sultan Tekke and the Larnaca Salt Lake complex | Χαλά Σουλτάν Τεκκέ και σύμπλεγμα Αλυκής Λάρνακας | 2016 | Larnaca |
| Troodos, Mt Olympus | Τρόοδος, Όρος Όλυμπος | 2002 | Natural site |
| Kionia | Κιόνια | 2002 | Natural site, Machairas (Nicosia) |
Separate UNESCO label: Troodos UNESCO Global Geopark (2015) — see Water & Environment.
Intangible Cultural Heritage — 8 entries
| Element | Greek | Year | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lefkara lace (Lefkaritika) | Λευκαρίτικα κεντήματα | 2009 | Hand-made lace of Lefkara village |
| Tsiattista | Τσιατίστα | 2011 | Poetic duelling: two poets answer each other in improvised rhyming couplets, with violin or lute |
| Mediterranean diet | Μεσογειακή διατροφή | 2013 | Joint with Croatia, Spain, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Portugal |
| Art of dry stone walling | Τέχνη της ξερολιθιάς | 2018 (extended file 2024) | Multinational |
| Byzantine chant | Βυζαντινή μουσική | 2019 | Joint with Greece |
| Tocatì — traditional games and sports | Tocatì | 2022 | Register of Good Safeguarding Practices (a different list) |
| Midwifery | — | 2023 | Multinational |
| Commandaria wine | Κουμανδαρία | 2025 | Newest; sweet wine of the southern Troodos villages |
⚠️ Older sources still say "five elements" (Lefkaritika, Tsiattista, Mediterranean diet, dry stone walling, Byzantine chant).
⚠️ Halloumi is NOT on a UNESCO list — it is an EU PDO product (since 2021).
📍 In the exam: Which of these is NOT on the UNESCO World Heritage List: Paphos, Choirokoitia, the Troodos painted churches, ancient Kourion?
Answer: Ancient Kourion.