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Beyond Fabrica Hill
Beyond Fabrica Hill
A few weeks ago we blogged about Fabrica Hill. We went to find out about the new walkway, and to see what was on the hill. The blog was very popular, but left people chomping at the bit for more. Why didn't you feature the amphitheatre? Where will the walkway end? Why are there never any hedgehogs in your blogs? Most of these questions were asked. So the other day, we went back to find the answers. Not only that, but we also found that most elusive of creatures, an artist's impression of what the walkway will look like when it is complete. So read on to find out...
Read the article and chat about it below...
Read the article and chat about it below...
Web Designer / Developer. Currently working on Paphos Life.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
Re: Beyond Fabrica Hill
Great blog Dominic, I'm really looking forward to seeing how the area ends up!
Shane
Shane
Re: Beyond Fabrica Hill
Couldn't agree more. There is much more there than I expected to find. It's going to be pretty special.
Web Designer / Developer. Currently working on Paphos Life.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
Re: Beyond Fabrica Hill
Your best blog yet imho, Dom, thanks. I have a couple of queries about pics #16 and #19, but will leave those until tomorrow. For now, your photos in this latest blog are simply stunning!
Cheers- AL (tired and hungry)
Cheers- AL (tired and hungry)
Gone but not forgotten...
Re: Beyond Fabrica Hill
Hi Dominic
The "ruins everywhere" slide was actually a house until approximately 4 years ago.
The department of antiquities bought the plot to expose what you see now.
If they had the finance available, they would purchase all the properties in the area to expose the archaeology.
If you visited the St Pauls pillar site circa 18 years ago, it was a tarmaced road which passed from St Pauls Pillar Restaurant, past Ayia Kyriaki Church, until the site was uncovered.
The "ruins everywhere" slide was actually a house until approximately 4 years ago.
The department of antiquities bought the plot to expose what you see now.
If they had the finance available, they would purchase all the properties in the area to expose the archaeology.
If you visited the St Pauls pillar site circa 18 years ago, it was a tarmaced road which passed from St Pauls Pillar Restaurant, past Ayia Kyriaki Church, until the site was uncovered.
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LouiseCastricum
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Re: Beyond Fabrica Hill
Dominic, can you go from the church site directly to the amphitheatre?
Louise 
Re: Beyond Fabrica Hill
Yes. The amphitheatre is fenced off though. I parked in the same place I parked for the other blog, and walked around on foot. You can actually walk straight over the top of Fabrica Hill to get to the amphitheatre as well.
Web Designer / Developer. Currently working on Paphos Life.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
Re: Beyond Fabrica Hill
The Baths in your blog are interesting, Dom. Did you find one or two? The same one being photographed from a different angle, I mean.. I only walked by one many times, and it looked like it was at the end of somebodies back garden!
On the CTO tourist town map, it was described as Frankish Baths. I just did a bing search for 'Frankish period Cyprus' and came up with some rather interesting historical information...
========================================================================
The Frankish Period (1191 - 1571)
King Richard of England was reluctant to keep Cyprus under his control as his main aim was Palestine. For this reason he sold it to the Knights Templar. The Templars ruthlessly exploited Cyprus so the inhabitants rose against them in the Easter of 1192 AD. Realising that it was difficult to keep it under their control they sold it in turn to the King of Jerusalem (Jerusalem was now in the hands of the Arabs) Guy de Lusignan who took possession of the island in May 1192 AD. From the very beginning Guy saw the Cypriots as serfs so he invited the French nobility to come from Syria and Palestine and settle in Cyprus awarding them estates and ranks in his newly founded Kingdom. He reigned for almost two years. His brother Amaury who succeeded him reigned for eleven years (1194- 1205A D) and he is the real founder of the Lusignan Kingdom of Cyprus. He established the offices of the State which was organised on pure feudal principles.
The indigenous population consisting of Greek Cypriots was divided mainly in three classes: The 'Paroikoi' were the most numerous. They were bound to the land of their masters and they were almost slaves. Even marriage among 'Paroikoi' from different estates was prohibited. The second group was called 'Perperiarii' (hyperperon was a Byzantine coin). All of them belonged to the previous group but they bought off (redeemed) their freedom by paying 15 'hyperperon ' to their masters. They continued, however, to pay taxes for their land and produce as the 'Paroikoi'. The 'Lefteroi' were free citizens who either purchased their freedom or were set free by some kind of favour. The entire Greek population was reduced to a subject race by the French rulers. The hostility between the two was exacerbated by the introduction of Catholicism which people reacted to.
This climate changed only after mid 14th century and the Greek population was allowed relative freedom in religious matters. This allowed the Greeks to ascend the social ladder and even become officers in the army. The French dynasty co-operated with the Orthodox Church and mixed marriages were on the increase despite the obstacles put forth by the Catholic Church.
The last Frankish King James reigned from 1464-1473 AD and he chose as his consort a young Venetian girl of the noblest families, Caterina (Catherine) Cornaro, a marriage that was destined to seal the chapter of the Frankish Kingdom of Cyprus. Before her departure from Venice, Caterina was adopted by the Venetian State so when James II died unexpectedly a few months after his wedding and so did happen to his offspring James III, a few weeks after it was born, Caterina was persuaded in February 1489 AD to abdicate voluntarily. Venice offered to her an estate at Asolo where she spent her days until her death in 1510 AD.
The noble local Frankish families resented the way they were treated by the Venetians and the Greeks gained nothing from this change, in fact they were squeezed by heavy taxes. The Orthodox Church, how ever, gained full freedom for political purposes. Rebellions did occur but were easily crushed.
Meanwhile, as all the countries around Cyprus fell to the Ottomans, obviously Cyprus could have been their prey any moment. The Turks sent an ultimatum with insulting terms in March 1570 AD to the Council of Ten in Venice, demanding the immediate cession of the island. Venice tried in vain to send reinforcements so any resistance was doomed to failure.
The Turks under Lala Mustafa landed near Larnaca, proceeded unharrassed and laid siege on Nicosia on 25 July 1570 AD. Having relatively easily conquered that in about one and a half months they proceeded to Kyrenia which surrendered without a shot. The same happened with Paphos and Limassol, so Lala Mustafa moved his entire army outside Famagusta on 23 September. On 1 August 1571 AD Famagusta surrendered.
The Turkish occupation brought about two radical results in the history of the island. For the first time since the late 13th, 12th and 11th centuries BC a new ethnic element (save the Phoenicians in the 9th century BC) appeared, the Turks, whose religion prevented them from being assimilated by the strong and resolute Greek population, which is what happened earlier with the indigenous Cypriots, the Phoenicians and others.
The second important result of the Turkish occupation benefited the Greek peasants who no longer remained serfs of the land they were cultivating. Now they could acquire it against payment, thus becoming owners of it. At the same time the Orthodox Church was liberated because the Turks were afraid of the presence of the Catholic Church as it might instigate an attack of Western Europe against them. Gradually the Archbishop of Cyprus became not only religious but ethnic leader as well, something the Turks promoted wanting to have somebody responsible for the loyalty of the Greek flock. In this way the Church undertook the task of the guardian of the Greek cultural legacy which is partly carried on even in our days, although diminished after independence.
========================================================================
We learn something new every day, don't we? AL
On the CTO tourist town map, it was described as Frankish Baths. I just did a bing search for 'Frankish period Cyprus' and came up with some rather interesting historical information...
========================================================================
The Frankish Period (1191 - 1571)
King Richard of England was reluctant to keep Cyprus under his control as his main aim was Palestine. For this reason he sold it to the Knights Templar. The Templars ruthlessly exploited Cyprus so the inhabitants rose against them in the Easter of 1192 AD. Realising that it was difficult to keep it under their control they sold it in turn to the King of Jerusalem (Jerusalem was now in the hands of the Arabs) Guy de Lusignan who took possession of the island in May 1192 AD. From the very beginning Guy saw the Cypriots as serfs so he invited the French nobility to come from Syria and Palestine and settle in Cyprus awarding them estates and ranks in his newly founded Kingdom. He reigned for almost two years. His brother Amaury who succeeded him reigned for eleven years (1194- 1205A D) and he is the real founder of the Lusignan Kingdom of Cyprus. He established the offices of the State which was organised on pure feudal principles.
The indigenous population consisting of Greek Cypriots was divided mainly in three classes: The 'Paroikoi' were the most numerous. They were bound to the land of their masters and they were almost slaves. Even marriage among 'Paroikoi' from different estates was prohibited. The second group was called 'Perperiarii' (hyperperon was a Byzantine coin). All of them belonged to the previous group but they bought off (redeemed) their freedom by paying 15 'hyperperon ' to their masters. They continued, however, to pay taxes for their land and produce as the 'Paroikoi'. The 'Lefteroi' were free citizens who either purchased their freedom or were set free by some kind of favour. The entire Greek population was reduced to a subject race by the French rulers. The hostility between the two was exacerbated by the introduction of Catholicism which people reacted to.
This climate changed only after mid 14th century and the Greek population was allowed relative freedom in religious matters. This allowed the Greeks to ascend the social ladder and even become officers in the army. The French dynasty co-operated with the Orthodox Church and mixed marriages were on the increase despite the obstacles put forth by the Catholic Church.
The last Frankish King James reigned from 1464-1473 AD and he chose as his consort a young Venetian girl of the noblest families, Caterina (Catherine) Cornaro, a marriage that was destined to seal the chapter of the Frankish Kingdom of Cyprus. Before her departure from Venice, Caterina was adopted by the Venetian State so when James II died unexpectedly a few months after his wedding and so did happen to his offspring James III, a few weeks after it was born, Caterina was persuaded in February 1489 AD to abdicate voluntarily. Venice offered to her an estate at Asolo where she spent her days until her death in 1510 AD.
The noble local Frankish families resented the way they were treated by the Venetians and the Greeks gained nothing from this change, in fact they were squeezed by heavy taxes. The Orthodox Church, how ever, gained full freedom for political purposes. Rebellions did occur but were easily crushed.
Meanwhile, as all the countries around Cyprus fell to the Ottomans, obviously Cyprus could have been their prey any moment. The Turks sent an ultimatum with insulting terms in March 1570 AD to the Council of Ten in Venice, demanding the immediate cession of the island. Venice tried in vain to send reinforcements so any resistance was doomed to failure.
The Turks under Lala Mustafa landed near Larnaca, proceeded unharrassed and laid siege on Nicosia on 25 July 1570 AD. Having relatively easily conquered that in about one and a half months they proceeded to Kyrenia which surrendered without a shot. The same happened with Paphos and Limassol, so Lala Mustafa moved his entire army outside Famagusta on 23 September. On 1 August 1571 AD Famagusta surrendered.
The Turkish occupation brought about two radical results in the history of the island. For the first time since the late 13th, 12th and 11th centuries BC a new ethnic element (save the Phoenicians in the 9th century BC) appeared, the Turks, whose religion prevented them from being assimilated by the strong and resolute Greek population, which is what happened earlier with the indigenous Cypriots, the Phoenicians and others.
The second important result of the Turkish occupation benefited the Greek peasants who no longer remained serfs of the land they were cultivating. Now they could acquire it against payment, thus becoming owners of it. At the same time the Orthodox Church was liberated because the Turks were afraid of the presence of the Catholic Church as it might instigate an attack of Western Europe against them. Gradually the Archbishop of Cyprus became not only religious but ethnic leader as well, something the Turks promoted wanting to have somebody responsible for the loyalty of the Greek flock. In this way the Church undertook the task of the guardian of the Greek cultural legacy which is partly carried on even in our days, although diminished after independence.
========================================================================
We learn something new every day, don't we? AL
Gone but not forgotten...
Re: Beyond Fabrica Hill
Two baths Al. I will be looking more in depth at the St Paul's Pillar area in a different blog though.
Web Designer / Developer. Currently working on Paphos Life.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
Re: Beyond Fabrica Hill
I attended Catholic mass in the Church, a few times, when I had my mother over in Cyprus at the age of 87. This was about 10 years ago and the Church was actually, for a relative newcomer, hard to find by car. It didn't, even then, have so much of the 'walkway' steelwork in place.
An interesting aside, the Church is used by Orthodox, Catholic and Anglican services. It was very full with Philippine women at the Catholic service. There was a leaflet given out as well, with a story about a local woman who had apparently/allegedly developed the stigmata!
The Church is rather strange inside, in terms of layout, with an inability to see the altar from all parts.
An interesting aside, the Church is used by Orthodox, Catholic and Anglican services. It was very full with Philippine women at the Catholic service. There was a leaflet given out as well, with a story about a local woman who had apparently/allegedly developed the stigmata!
The Church is rather strange inside, in terms of layout, with an inability to see the altar from all parts.
Re: Beyond Fabrica Hill
Also quite tiny, in terms of seating capacicity, Jim?
Gone but not forgotten...
Re: Beyond Fabrica Hill
When we first came to Paphos in1999 there was nothing much around Agia Kyriaki (St Pauls Pillar church). It was connected by road with the roads running on 2 sides of it. The large archaeological area around it was undisturbed and contains the remains of what was a large 5 aisled Basilica. In fact one of the walls of the present church rests on one of the ancient walls in the foundations of the older building as can be seen from the walkway.
The walkway that cuts across the site was built more recently. It seemed to take a long time to build at the time and unfortunately, caused a certain amount of damage to the original layout on the site, due to post holes being dug and some columns and other pieces of archaeological interest were moved to make way for it. When put back they may not be in their original layout,
But, its presence does mean that what is left is not subjected to wear and tear by visitors to the site.
I think that Agia Kyriaki is a lovely old church and I like attending the (Anglican) services held there.It is good that those of different faiths all worship at this church quite amicably.
Dee

The walkway that cuts across the site was built more recently. It seemed to take a long time to build at the time and unfortunately, caused a certain amount of damage to the original layout on the site, due to post holes being dug and some columns and other pieces of archaeological interest were moved to make way for it. When put back they may not be in their original layout,
But, its presence does mean that what is left is not subjected to wear and tear by visitors to the site.
I think that Agia Kyriaki is a lovely old church and I like attending the (Anglican) services held there.It is good that those of different faiths all worship at this church quite amicably.
Dee

Re: Beyond Fabrica Hill
Neil,
You said that you couldn't believe all the artifacts and columns left outside. What would you do with them then? If they were all removed what would there be left for those interested to look at? Rest assured that the most important items are removed to safe places, such as museums. The best one is the Cyprus Archaeological Museum in Nicosia which has some wonderful pieces on display. But there is also another museum in Paphos. It is situated in a large white building not far from the Makarios Head statue. It has been closed for renovation and enlargement, but it is about to reopen very soon I understand.
Dee
You said that you couldn't believe all the artifacts and columns left outside. What would you do with them then? If they were all removed what would there be left for those interested to look at? Rest assured that the most important items are removed to safe places, such as museums. The best one is the Cyprus Archaeological Museum in Nicosia which has some wonderful pieces on display. But there is also another museum in Paphos. It is situated in a large white building not far from the Makarios Head statue. It has been closed for renovation and enlargement, but it is about to reopen very soon I understand.
Dee
