Vouni Palace

This small township grouped on the steep slopes of a conical hill watched over the city kingdom of Soli near Lefke for over a century.   

In around 600 BC, the city states of Cyprus were politically divided and the island’s kingdoms waged war with one another, namely between the Persian supported Phoenicians and the Greeks.

Battles ensued on land and sea, and in 500 BC a pro-Persian city of the kingdom, Marion, besieged the ancient city of Soli and established a guarding settlement on an overlooking nearby hill. The pro-Persian Phoenician King Doxandros, and ruler of Marion, built Vouni palace at 250 metres above sea level, towering over the city of Soli. Indeed, its position certainly meant that both sea traffic and the city’s activities could be monitored without hindrance from afar.

The structure was nothing more than military settlement until 449 BC, when Greek rule was established and the ruler of Marion was replaced by a pro-Greek prince, after which Vouni became a Royal Palace.

In 380 BC the palace which had been a continuous threat to Soli was mysteriously destroyed by a fire, and the inhabitants were evacuated. Hence the history of Vouni Palace only lasted for over a century. Later documents reveal that 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. Within the initial construction in 500 BC, the core of the palace was built. It was characterised by strong eastern features such as the tripartite division of the official buildings – it consisted of 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 the Greek rule, the palace’s eastern architectural features were replaced, and major alterations were made. It is during this phase that the palace adopted its final character which differed from that of the initial build. The tripartite division was altered, and the palace’s central area was formed in such a way that it resembled a megaron with Mycenaean characteristics. A second floor was further added followed by minor alterations, until its very demise.

The palace complex 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 towards the sea and contains housing with stone foundations and mud brick upper storeys which housed most of the residents.

The site consists of a discernible 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, each 16 metres in breadth are the widest of their kind on the whole island.

Column heads in the courtyard made of limestone, depict 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.

Both the palace and the smaller surrounding buildings that mainly comprised of temples, were all surrounded by a wall, creating the impression of a fort.

Temple of Athena

Outside the Palace existed several temples. These were simple rectangular buildings with open yards and a variety of altars. The most important shrine is the one devoted to Athena, perched at the very top of the hill, towards the southern extremity of the plateau.

Athena was the ancient goddess allied with wisdom, handicraft and warfare, and in Greek mythology, she was believed to have been born from the head of her father Zeus, the first of the Gods. 

Built on a rocky area, this temple is dated to the third quarter of the 5th century BC and it consists of a courtyard, a forecourt and a large rectangular enclosure – it is two storeys tall in places and built to hold two main entrances. Sculptures used to stand in the forecourt, and one of the statue bases can still be seen in the form of holes cut on the rock surface. A semi-circular altar was positioned to the right of the entrance, against the enclosure’s east wall. The Temple’s main room was built behind the enclosure holding a statuette of the goddess.

Water Works

The layout may not be as fascinating as the Soli ruins, but one of the major Vouni attractions lies beneath its’ foundations, with a hugely sophisticated plumbing system.

Cisterns were vital for the Palace’s survival since Vouni had no natural water sources. Storage for rainwater was made by digging out rocks to create natural wells. 

The large standing stone stele standing by the cistern in the courtyard was designed to hold a windlass, an apparatus for moving heavy weights, which would have been used to lift water from the cistern. 

This stone has become the symbol of Vouni.  Looking closely at the centre of the stele will reveal an unfinished carved face, thought to be a goddess.

Channels were also made to link rooms to a constant supply of water, and visitors will see the remains of an elaborate bathhouse which has evidence of a furnace below – one of the earliest examples of a fully equipped hot Roman bath.

Excavations

The palace was evidently a building of great wealth and luxury, and other than groups of sculptures and works of art, great ‘Vouni Treasures’ have since been discovered.

Excavations in the 1920’s unearthed a baked clay cup, blackened by the fire which destroyed the palace. Precious commodities like 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 amongst the valuable findings.

The temple has unearthed various votive offerings and several bronze statues, one of a cow and two identical groups in relief, each with two lions attacking a bull.

How to get there

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 however the views from the hilltop are truly glorious and well worth the trip. Even visitors with no greater interest in ancient remains appreciate that Vouni is a place for reflection such is its magnificent location perched so high, with unrivalled 360-degree views. Take your time here, explore the site, but also make sure you soak up the surrounding views as these are mostly certainly some of the best in North Cyprus.

You may be best advised to visit both of the nearby sites on the same day, considering Vouni’s sole reason for being built in the first place was to spy on the daily goings on in the city of Soli. 

From the palace you will also see the small island of Petra Tou Limnidi which is the site of the first settlement in Cyprus, excavated at the same time as Vouni and where Archaeologists discovered fascinating 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 into colour.