Vouni Palace

Vouni Palace is 9 kilometres west of Gemikonagi, past the town of Lefke. The site is reached by taking the signposted turn from the main road and following a narrow, steeply winding road all the way up the hill. The ruins may seem sparse, but the 360° views from the hilltop are glorious, and well worth the trip as they're some of the best in Northern Cyprus. Visitors during late winter and early spring will be met by orchids and other rare flowers that bloom and bathe the palace surroundings with colour.
History
Located on steep slopes of a conical hill, Vouni Palace overlooked the city kingdom of Soli for over a century. In 500 BC, Phoenician and Greek city kingdoms were warring with battles on land and sea. Marion, a pro-Persian city of the kingdom, besieged the city of Soli and established a guarding settlement on an overlooking nearby hill. King Doxandros of Marion built
Vouni Palace 250m above sea level, towering over the city of Soli, allowing both sea traffic and the city’s activities to be monitored without hindrance from afar.
The structure was a military settlement until 449 BC, when Greek rule was established and the ruler of Marion was replaced by a pro-Greek prince making Vouni a Royal Palace.
In 380 BC the palace, which had been a continuous threat to Soli, was mysteriously destroyed by a fire, so the history of Vouni Palace only lasted for over a century. Later documents reveal its foundations were further destroyed by Soli inhabitants. The palace resembles a typical Hellenic house, but with qualities and features which connect it to the more oriental middle eastern world.
Structure and Architecture
Excavations have shown different construction periods. In 500 BC the core of the palace was built with strong eastern features, such as the tripartite division of official buildings into living quarters, large storage rooms and bathrooms. During the Persian period, further modifications were made to the structure and the number of rooms increased. During Greek rule, eastern architectural features were replaced, major alterations were made and the palace adopted its final character. The tripartite division was altered, the central area resembled a Mycenaean megaron (central hall), and a second floor was added.
What you see today is made up of three terraces. The highest holds the remains of the Athena shrine. The middle terrace holds the palace which is believed to have had 137 rooms in total, surrounded by smaller religious buildings. The lower terrace faces the sea and contains housing with stone foundations and mud brick upper storeys which housed most of the residents.
The site consists of the megaron, a large rectangular room with a central throne, rooms mainly on the eastern wing and a 7-step stairway leading down to the courtyard and cistern. These steps, at 16 metres, are the widest of their kind on the whole island. Column heads in the courtyard made of limestone, show the face of the ancient Egyptian goddess Hathor, although natural erosion has meant the facial features of the goddess of the sky, fertility and love have not made it prominently to the present day. The palace and the smaller surrounding buildings mainly comprised of temples, were surrounded by a wall, creating the impression of a fort.
Temple of Athena
Outside the Palace there were several temples which were simple rectangular buildings with open yards and a variety of altars. The most important shrine is the one devoted to Athena, who was the goddess allied with wisdom, handicraft and warfare. Greek mythology says she was born from the head of her father Zeus, the first of the Gods. The temple is dated 5th century BC and has a courtyard, forecourt, and a large two storey rectangular enclosure built to hold two main entrances. Sculptures stood in the forecourt and a semi-circular altar was to the right of the entrance. The Temple’s main room was behind the enclosure and held a statuette of the goddess.
Water Works
Vouni had a really sophisticated plumbing system. Cisterns were vital since Vouni had no natural water sources, so storage was created by digging out rocks to create natural wells. The large stone standing by the cistern in the courtyard was designed to hold a windlass which would have been used to lift water from the cistern. This stone has become the symbol of Vouni. If you look closely at the centre of the stone, you’ll see an unfinished carved face, thought to be a goddess. Channels were also made to link rooms to a constant supply of water. You can see remains of an elaborate bathhouse with evidence of a furnace below – one of the earliest examples of a fully equipped Roman hot tub.
Excavations
The palace was evidently a building of great wealth and luxury, containing sculptures, works of art, and ‘Vouni Treasures’. Excavations in the 1920’s unearthed a baked clay cup, blackened by the fire, which destroyed the palace. Ornamented silver cups and bowls, as well as two magnificent gold bracelets, rank among the finest known examples of Persian gold work. Hundreds of coins bearing the stamps of the City Kingdoms of Cyprus including Marion, are also among the valuable findings. The temple has unearthed various offerings and several bronze statues, one of a cow and two identical groups in relief, each with two lions attacking a bull.
Soli & Petra Tou Limnidi
Because Soli is so close, you may want to visit it on the same day, considering Vouni’s sole reason for being built in the first place was to spy on Soli. From the palace you can also see the small island of Petra Tou Limnidi, which was the first settlement in Cyprus. It was excavated at the same time as Vouni and where Archaeologists discovered Neolithic findings. These excavations were together described as the “Awakening of the Island”. Visitors during the late winter and early spring months will be met by a rich array of orchids and other rare flowers that bloom and adorn the palace surroundings with colour.