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Saranda Kolones Fortress

Saranda Kolones Fortress

Inside the Paphos Archaeological Park, just north of the old harbor, a pile of broken stones and toppled columns marks where one of Cyprus's most important medieval fortresses once stood. Saranta Kolones, which translates to Forty Columns, served as the main defensive stronghold protecting Paphos during a turbulent period when Arab raids threatened the island. Today, visitors walk among its ruins and discover a fortress that endured multiple rebuilds, witnessed crucial historical events, and met a violent end in one of the worst earthquakes ever to strike Cyprus. Historical Background The fortress was built at the end of the 7th century AD under Byzantine rule. Historical records indicate that Theodore, the brother of Emperor Heraclius I, supervised its construction. At that time, the Arab Caliphate had emerged as a powerful force in the Middle East, and Cyprus found itself in the path of expansion. Arab forces launched raids on the island, making coastal cities particularly vulnerable. Paphos, with its strategic harbor and position on shipping routes, needed strong defenses. The Byzantine builders created a formidable structure. The fortress featured walls three meters thick, substantial enough to resist siege weapons of that era. Four massive corner towers anchored the defenses, with four additional intermediate towers positioned along the connecting walls. A moat surrounded the entire complex, and access was only possible…

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Cypriot Syrtos Island Dance

Cypriot Syrtos Island Dance

If there is one dance that captures how Cyprus moves, remembers, and gathers, it is the Syrtos. Performed in an open circle, grounded rather than leaping, it has survived centuries of occupation, division, and social change without losing its core rhythm. The Syrtos is not a performance meant to impress from a distance. It is a shared action, designed to include rather than exclude, where the movement matters less than the connection it creates. To understand the Syrtos is to understand how Cypriots express identity without words. A Dance Built on Contact with the Ground The word Syrtos comes from the ancient Greek verb meaning “to drag” or “to pull,” and the name describes the movement precisely. Feet stay close to the earth. Steps glide rather than jump. The dance progresses sideways in a steady, unhurried flow that feels deliberate rather than showy. This grounded quality sets the Syrtos apart from the energetic, leaping dances found in mountainous parts of Greece. In Cyprus, where life historically revolved around agriculture and coastal settlements, the movement reflects stability and continuity rather than display. The body stays upright, the rhythm remains even, and the emphasis is on collective motion rather than individual flair. The Circle That Makes Everyone Equal The Syrtos is almost always danced in an open circle or gently curved line,…

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The Ayia Napa Medieval Festival

The Ayia Napa Medieval Festival

For a few days each year, the coastal town of Ayia Napa seems to loosen its grip on the present. Streets soften under banners and colour, music carries through stone courtyards, and spaces normally passed without notice begin to feel deliberate and ceremonial. The Medieval Festival of Famagusta is not designed as a reconstruction frozen in time, nor does it resemble a museum exhibition staged outdoors. Instead, it functions as a living cultural moment, one that uses costume, performance, craft, and architecture to reawaken the Lusignan era and allow Cyprus’s medieval identity to surface in ways that feel social, shared, and immediately accessible. What makes the festival distinctive is how quickly it communicates its intent. Even visitors with little knowledge of Cypriot history sense the shift almost at once. There is no requirement to understand dates or dynasties. The atmosphere takes on the work of explanation, and immersion replaces instruction. A Festival That Transforms History into Public Space At its core, the Medieval Festival is a large-scale heritage event inspired by the centuries when Cyprus stood at the centre of crusader politics, Mediterranean trade routes, and cultural exchange. Performers dressed as knights, nobles, clergy, merchants, and artisans move fluidly through public spaces, while music, theatre, and craft demonstrations turn streets and squares into interconnected stages rather than isolated venues. Although…

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