Location Category: Historical Monuments
Curium
Curium was an ancient city on the south west coast of Cyprus, near Episkopi. The Ancient Greek historians Herodotus and Stravonas both mention that the city was a colony of the Argion, one of the most rich and powerful kingdoms of Cyprus. It is mentioned in the ‘prism of Asarhadon’ 672-673 BC, along with the other kingdoms of Cyprus (Idalion, Kition, Salamis, Hytroi, Tamassos, Ledrai and Solloi.) According to mythology, the well-known owner of Curium was Curies the son of Kiniras. He was called Curieus and Curias by the city’s residents.
The devastating earthquakes that hit Curium in the second half of the fourth century AD, marks the beginning of the decline of the city. Another reason for the city’s downfall is that the people of the city stopped worshipping Apollo of Hylates due to growing popularity towards Christianity. This meant that the city was now deprived of many benefits that accompanied crowds of pilgrims who came to visit the Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates.
Khirokitia Neolithic Settlement
The Khirokitia Neolithic Settlement is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. This wonderful Neolithic settlement was discovered well preserved and, therefore, is a prime example of the Neolithic period in Cyprus and provides insights into the Neolithic culture in the region. At the site there are five buildings, which have been rebuilt based on Neolithic architecture. In order to reconstruct the buildings to be as true to the originals as possible and to provide an accurate picture of the village as it was then, the same methods of construction and materials were used and also many objects found in the houses during excavations were also placed in the buildings.
