City of Amathus, or as it is called Amafunt, is one of the oldest settlements in Cyprus. It was located in the southern part of the island on the Mediterranean coast.

History Amathus has more than two thousand years, and its founder is considered Cinyras - the first king of Cyprus and the father of Adonis. He is also the founder of the cult of Aphrodite on the island. According to one version, the city was named in honor of his mother Amato (Amathus), according to another version, the site of the city of the same name was previously Grove, where she died in childbirth and was buried Ariadne after Theseus left her beloved.

Thanks to its extremely convenient location, Amathus almost immediately after his appearance has become a trade and economic center of the island. The convenient natural harbor port was built, which contributed to the development of trade with the Levant (the territory of modern Palestine, Syria and Lebanon) and Greece - mainly they traded corn, copper and wool.

Later the city not once became a battlefield and, after its conquest by Alexander the Great, gradually lost its economic importance. With the arrival of Christianity on the island of Aphrodite and Adonis cult also came to nothing.

Currently on the site of this ancient city there were only ruins. The first excavations were begun there in the late XIX century, American archaeologist and military Luigi Palma di Chesnola who passed all their findings to the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum. More seriously, archaeologists undertook Amathus just 100 years, and still this ancient city never ceases to amaze them with their treasures. For example, scientists have found the Temple of Aphrodite (just in the city were built two temples in honor of the goddess, which was seen as the patron of Amathus, but, unfortunately, one of them has not been completed), the Acropolis, the port, the basilica and the city wall . The found values ​​of Cyprus joined the collection of the Museum, which is located in Nicosia.