Must-see

Kourion (ancient theater)

An ancient city-kingdom that is not on the UNESCO list

Local name: Αρχαιολογικός Χώρος Κουρίου

Collection: Cyprus Basics Exam · Cyprus · Open in OpenStreetMap

The story

Kourion is an ancient city-kingdom on a high coastal hill west of Limassol; people lived here as early as the Bronze Age. According to legend, the city was founded by settlers from Argos in the twelfth century BC; it was destroyed by an earthquake in the fourth century AD. The theater was first built in the second century BC and took its present form under the Romans. It has about 3,500 seats, and today concerts and plays are held there again. Nearby are Roman houses with mosaics, an Early Christian basilica and a stadium. Two and a half kilometers to the west is a sanctuary where Apollo Hylates was worshipped as the god of the woodlands.

Kourion is not a UNESCO World Heritage site: in Cyprus, the list includes only Paphos, the painted churches of Troodos and Choirokoitia. Archaeological sites are not free: a ticket to Kourion costs €4.50.

Visiting

Open every day from 8:30. From September 16 to April 15 until 17:00, from April 16 to September 15 until 19:30. The last ticket is sold 30 min before closing. Admission €4.50. The Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates keeps the same hours. Before you go, check the hours and price on the Department of Antiquities website.

On the way

• Paphos → Limassol
• Paphos → Nicosia

Photos

Sources

• Cyprus Department of Antiquities — Kourion (history, theater, other monuments, Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates, hours, ticket)
• UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Cyprus (three sites: Paphos, painted churches of Troodos, Choirokoitia)
• Deputy Ministry of Tourism — official guide to Cyprus 2026 (in Greek): “πόλη-βασίλειο”, earthquake of the 4th century AD
• Hallouminati — exam questions on archaeological sites explained (Kourion as “not UNESCO”, paid admission)

This text was written by AI from open sources. An expert will still check it. Found a mistake? Write to us. Support