Cyprus - My 7 day circuit across the country - Day 2 late morning - North Cyprus - Salamis - The Roman Theatre; the Gymnasium; the Latrines, the Sudatorium and the Caldarium -The 6th of November 2016

As we drove onto the former Roman Salamis, which would later become Byzantine Constantia, the island's main port and capital for a thousand years I sighted the Royal necropolis by the side of the road and managed to take a photo from inside the bus.

 

 Royal tomb from the 7th a nd 8th centuries BC, west of Salamis.

Upon reaching what is considered by many as the most interesting archaeological excavation site on Cyprus we headed towards the Roman Theatre which was built 2,000 years ago during the reign of Emperor Augustus and could hold up to 15,000 spectators.

 

 

We continued onto the rather impressive Gymnasium via the Amphitheatre and the stone cisterns and other remains of an aqueduct that used to supply the baths and the pools with water.

 

From it we walked into a semi-circular colonnaded structure containing a latrine which could be used by 44 people simultaneously.

We then explored the Sudatorium and the Caldarium, pertaining to the Greek-Roman baths complex system with steam bath pools and hot bath chambers both of which fitted with underfloor heating systems. Some well preserved frescoe paintings and mosaics could still be seen as we strolled along the huge ensemble admiring the structure and looking at unique details.

 

Cyprus - My 7 day circuit across the country - Day 2 morning (cont.) North Cyprus - Salamis - St. Barnabas 's Monastery - The Monastery gardens; the Archaeological Museum and St. Barnabas's Mausoleum - The 6th of November 2016

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As we walked out of the Icon Museum we stepped onto the Monastery's gardens and its courtyard, surrounded on three sides by buildings which are said to have housed the monks and pilgrims who came to pray at the Monastery in the past.

We stopped for a short while by the arcades so as to drink a glass of pomegranate pressed juice, which tasted deliciously fresh while watching a local lady rolling the dough. 

We then walked into the first of three rooms (former monks's cells) turned into an Archaeological Museum displaying numerous  artefacts spanning from the Neolithic Age to the Ottoman Empire period arranged in chronological order.

Our attention was once more drawn to the rather curious items or special objects as according to Michel. I was particularly taken by the bowls with decorative figures, some of  the Archaic ware designs or even those of Byzantine influence on the glazed ware, as well as the terracotta figurines (namely the horse with wheels rathern than hooves) just to mention a few.

Fragments of red-on-white ware - Late Neolithic period - 4.000 B.C. (left). Red polish double spouted bowl with decoration - Early Bronze Age - 2300-2075 B.C. (right).

White painted black-on-red ware - 850-750 B.C. (left). Imported Syrian tankards - Late Bronze Age (right).

Bichrome free-field ware - Archaic period - 750-600 B.C.

Terracota  figurines - Archaic period.

Classical period black on red white painted plain bichrome red jug - 400-325 B.C. (left) and Classical period black-on-red ware (right) -  475-400 B.C.

Tubular ungentaria - Roman period - 150-395 A.D.

Byzantine sgraffitto ware - 4th and 12th centuries.

Terracotta head - Archaic period - 600-475 B.C. (left). Head of statue- Classical period - 475-325 B.C (right). B.C

A short distance east of the Monastery where some signs of recent archaeological digging could be seen stands a Byzantine-style rectangular domed Chapel-like Church erected over the tomb of the Apostle Barnabas to which we access via a stone staircase down to two chambers hewn into the rock.

The Saint was killed near Salamis for preaching Christianity, his body having been cast into the sea where it was fished out from by his disciples and then his body hidden. The important role he played as having been one of the founders of the independent Greek Orthodox is worth noting and so is mentioning the fact that he is the patron Saint of the country

It was a rather intense morning as far as historic and religious information is concerned but I felt none of us was overtired and we were all looking forward to the afternoon visits, as we stopped for the lunch break.