According to mythology, this is where the god Theseus left the pregnant Ariadne after his battle with the Minotaur. Amathus has been settled since approximately 1000 BC and was one of the island’s original four city-kingdoms. The first inhabitants here were probably Mycenaean, although there is no definite evidence to prove this. The remains on show today date mostly from the Roman and Byzantine eras. During the Roman period, Amathus was an important port city, which made its money by exporting the island’s copper and timber, but the city’s age of glory began to crumble during the 4th century after it fell victim to a series of devastating earthquakes. The ruins are spread out and there isn’t as much to see as in Kourion. The most easily visible feature is the Agora where a large number of pillars have been reconstructed, and the vestiges of some early walls can be seen. On the hill above are the remnants of the Acropolis and the Temple of Aphrodite, with the entrance marked by a large stone jar. At the bottom of the hill is a ruined Byzantine basilica.
Аматус (Amathus - Αμαθούς) − один из десяти древних городов-государств на Кипре. Любители пеших прогулок, особенно остановившиеся в Лимасоле, просто обязаны здесь побывать. История города Аматуса восходит приблизительно к 1100 году до н.э. Основателем города считается Кинир, отец Адониса, назвавший город в честь своей покойной матери Аматус (Аматеи). Он зародил здесь и культ Афродиты. В городе в дохристианские времена был построен огромный храм в честь этой богини.
June - July 2016 | AfishaCyprus
37