The Crusader Castle at Kolossi - King Richard's Cypriot Des Res? (Kolossi Castle (Limassol, Cyprus))

Member Name: Hishyeness

Product:	Kolossi Castle (Limassol, Cyprus)
Date:	13/07/09 (184 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Intact castle keep. Evocative and atmospheric.

Disadvantages: Encroaching modern development. Graffitti.

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INTRODUCTION
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For those who can look beyond the great food, sandy beaches, and the bars and clubs of the resorts of Limassol and Ayia Napa, Cyprus has a rich and varied cultural heritage. At various times, it has been controlled by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Venetians, English and Turks, and all of these varied cultures have left an indelible mark on its landscape.

The archaeological treasures Cyprus has to offer, and its modest size, offer an excellent opportunity for learning, at least for those whose hardest decision is not which factor of sun cream to use on the Paralia (beach) each day. The area around Limassol offers particularly rich and accessible pickings, with the highlights undoubtedly the ancient site of Kition, and its close neighbour - and my personal favourite - the crusader castle at Kolossi.

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HISTORY OF THE CASTLE
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Kolossi castle was built in the thirteenth century after the Frankish Lusignan king of the time, Hugh the First, granted the area to the Knights of the Order of St John, a medieval order whose mission was to protect and provide aid to pilgrims to the Holy Land (which gave rise to their more colloquial title - the Knights Hospitaller). King Richard the Lionheart was reputed to have spent some time here, but given the dates he was actually in Cyprus don't seem to tally with when the fortress was built, this seems unlikely.

After Acre, one of the most important cities in Levant, was wrested from Crusader hands by the Muslims in 1291 - effectively signalling the end of the Crusades, it became the Hospitallers main base of operations in the Middle East. The Hospitallers vacated the castle for Rhodes in the early 14th century, leaving it to their rival Order - the fabled Knights Templar - for a short period before their vicious annihilation by King Philip of France (who owed them a lot of money) and Pope Clement V (who feared their influence and was virtually Philip's puppet).

After the Templars were eradicated, it fell back into Hospitaller control. The original structure was virtually destroyed by the marauding Ottoman Turks on one of their many raids on Venetian controlled Cyprus. As such, the current construction dates from the mid-15th century. The castle has, through the ages, been the central administrative seat of the Commandarie of Kolossi, which controlled the production and trade of the famous sweet desert wine -Commandaria - to which it gave its name.

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DIRECTIONS
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The Cypriots use the same brown signage for their heritage sites as we do in England. The castle is located on the Akrotiri peninsula, just outside the village of Kolossi which gives it it's name. It is about 11 kilometres due west of Limassol and is clearly signposted from the main Limassol - Paphos A6 highway.

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EXTERIOR WALK-AROUND
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The castle is a three storey single block tower, surrounded on three sides by ruins of various stone outbuildings, and most substantially, the remains of a long-ruined chapel. There was an archaeological team from Germany working on site when we visited, and judging from the evidence of previous visits, it is still very much of active interest to the scholarly community.

The exterior is generally devoid of any ornate flourishes and looks fairly basic and functional. The exception is the coat of arms carved into the south facing wall. The four emblems it is composed of are set in white stone in the shape of a cross. You can't walk the full distance around the structure as it is walled off on one side. There are also some carefully placed ruins (remnants of columns, arches and lintels and the like) in the castle courtyard, ostensibly as a display of the basic decoration the building once enjoyed.

Having first visited several years ago, then returning again two years ago, and now for a third time this summer, what struck me immediately was how much the local area had been built up. The castle has been slowly but surely encroached upon by modern, and criminally unsympathetic, development which has somewhat diminished the aura of the place. This is a major disappointment.

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INTERIOR IMPRESSIONS
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Access to the interior of the castle is via a set of stone steps leading up to the reconstructed wooden drawbridge. You can also access the cellar from underneath the drawbridge steps, but this large and dark space has little of any interest.

The hall you first enter from the drawbridge is quite impressive in a monolithic sort of way. You can easily imagine it decorated in friezes and mosaics. Indeed, there are remnants of a couple of friezes protected behind Perspex, but unfortunately, it seems the Cypriots did not act quickly enough to preserve this impressive site, as tourist graffiti dating as far back as the early 1930's can be made out behind the plastic on the lower parts of the art. This type of mindless vandalism really angers me, At least the upper parts of these friezes seem to be in relatively good shape.

The fireplaces, though imposing, are sparsely decorated. This castle clearly did not entertain many princesses, and is decorated in the spartan, minimalist style you would expect of military men and administrators with better things to do. Once again, it seems lovebirds and football fans could not resist carving their initials into the relatively soft stone. I'm sure the resident Knights would have loved to have known that "ManYoo Rools" (sic). Pathetic.

The second floor, accessed by narrow spiral staircase is divided into two rooms, with lower ceilings, and probably served as accommodation. The single bit of decoration is a fleur-de-lis carved into the stone above one of the fireplaces. Otherwise unremarkable, it seems that much more evocative for being so solitary. The windows are narrow and small, letting in little natural light despite the blazing sunshine outside. The slightly larger ones are covered with black wrought-iron grills, giving the place a slightly more menacing personality.

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ROOF
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Continue up the spiral stone staircase from the second floor and you get to the flat turreted roof. Each of the turreted portions has a narrow arrow slit to shield defenders, and there is a set of murder holes directly above the drawbridge entrance.

On my first visit, there was an uninterrupted view of the Akrotiri peninsula toward the sea on the south side, and the vineyards of the local Commandaria producers running north toward the Troodos foothills. In your mind's eye you could just about imagine what it was like in the High Middle Ages.

Sadly, this no longer holds true. The view is now uninterrupted by the previously mentioned developments, and the most prevalent bodies of water are the ubiquitous back garden swimming pools of the many surrounding villas. More people means more electricity, so the fertile, and once pristine Kouris Valley is now littered with tall pylons delivering air conditioning to the pampered masses. That said, its still worth the trek up the dizzying staircases, although young children and those with infirmities should think twice, especially in the heat of the day.

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FACILITIES, TIMES & ENTRY FEE
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The official tourist board kiosk at the entrance is usually manned by English-speaking staff (of varying ability). The entry fee is a very modest Euro 1.70 per person regardless of age or circumstances.

The fortress is open daily (including Sunday) as follows, and does not close for "siesta". However, its best to check before going. I got these times from the kiosk, but they are (as is everything in Cyprus) subject to unexpected variation or change.

8 am to 5 pm from November to March
8 am to 6 pm from April to May, and also from September to October
8 am to 7.30 pm from June to August

The official guide book, available in German, French and English, is a princely 6.80 Euro. The kiosk also offers a small selection of more scholarly and serious-looking history books of the castle and surrounding area and a few postcards. Due to its nature, this is not a disabled friendly site. There is no wheelchair access onto the main premises. The toilet facilities are clean and modern.

There are no catering facilities on-site. However, there are a couple of small café/snack bar type establishments across the road adjacent to the car park which serve fresh juice, ice creams and other similar refreshments.

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VERDICT
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Despite the encroachment of modern life, the fact that there is nothing much in it, and the physical defacement of some of the building, this castle - one of the most important and influential seats of power in the medieval history of Cyprus - is well worth a visit. Late in the day, when the worst of the heat has passed seems to be the best (and most likely to be coach free) time to visit.

© Hishyeness 2009

Summary: Definitely worth a visit, possibly in conjunction with neighbouring Ancient Kition