Amathous Archaeological Site

　　The Amathous Archaeological Site (Amathous Archaeological Site) is situated 11 kilometers east of Limassol and is one of the ancient city-kingdom ruins of Cyprus. According to Greek mythology, it is said that Theseus once fought fiercely with the Minotaur here to protect the pregnant Ariadne. Worship of the goddess of love (Aphrodite-Astarte) was highly prevalent among the people of that time, which may be the reason why a series of churches, acropolises, and other structures were built to honor the goddess.

　　During the Roman period, it served as a regional capital before being later occupied by the Arabs, after which the town mysteriously disappeared. The Amathous Archaeological Site remained undiscovered until the late 19th century, when a series of excavations unearthed numerous relics. This site reveals that the ancient city was divided into upper and lower sections, with the upper part featuring the renowned ancient Greek Acropolis and the lower part including a marketplace, among other structures. Among the surviving ruins are five ancient churches, built respectively in antiquity, the Roman era, and the Christian period.