Polis and Latchi
Interesting Places
The local Museum of Marion - Arsinoe at Polis is an interesting
museum in Polis Chrysochous. It opened its doors to the public in
1998.It was erected by the Government of Cyprus and the generous
financial support of Mr. Nicos Shacolas. The Museum consists of
three exhibition spaces - Rooms I and II and the Atrium. Objects
in Room I, which was named after Mr. Nicos Shacolas, derive from
an extensive area around Polis and are chronologically arranged,
so as to portray its historical development from the Neolithic and
Chalcolithic to the Medieval periods.
Another interesting museum is the Polis Culture Center, which
opened its doors to the public on the 15th October 2001. A modern
day building with a theatre stage and a seating area with a 400
seater capacity. The Culture center also houses an exhibition area
that can host up to 250 people. Cyprus's position is seen as a
major attraction for regional travellers being the closest
European destination. (from the Middle East).
The town is close to where Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty,
used to meet her beloved Adonis. Also the Baths of Aphrodite are
near the town.
Polis History
On present evidence Marion was already inhabited at the end of the
Neolithic and through the Chalcolithic period. It began to prosper
from the Cypro - Archaic period onwards and became one of the most
important ancient Cypriot city - kingdoms in the Cypro - Classical
period with important commercial relations with the East Aegean
islands, Attica and Corinth. In 312 BC. it was conquered by
Ptolemy I and the Kingdom was abolished until its recon quest by
Ptolemy II Philadelphus who renamed the city after his sister and
wife. The new city was smaller than Marion but it also flourished
due to its close proximity to the copper mines. Arsinoe continued
to exist in the Roman, Early Christian and Early Byzantine periods
when it seems to have suffered extensive destruction by the Arab
invasions of the 7th century A. D. Archaeological evidence
indicates that the city was also inhabited during the Medieval
period between the 12th and 14th century|14th]] centuries A.D.
In Egypt at Medinet Habu in the temple of Ramesses III, for
example, there is a large 12th century BC. inscription which
refers to Cyprus. The names of Cypriot Towns mentioned include
Marion. However, the first definite reference to Marion occurred
in 449 BC. when the city, as indeed other city- kingdoms of
Cyprus, were under Persian rule. During that year, Kimon, the
great Athenian general, freed the city from the Persians. Later,
the ancient geographers spoke of the town as "Marion Ellinikon" -
The Hellenic Marion. The Kingdom was rich in Gold and Copper ore,
mind chiefly in the nearby Limni Mines. It was the natural wealth
which led the city to a period of flourishing trade, especially
with Athens, which in its turn, exported many attic pots to
Marion. Samples of this pottery can be viewed at Polis
Archaeological Museum.
According to tradition, Athenian Akamas, son of Theseus,
disembarked near Polis after the Trojan war and gave his name to
the Cape of Akamas and the city of Akamantis: a legendary city
which has never been found. In ancient times, Polis was known as
Marion, and was probably founded by Akamas or a certain Marieus.
Marion was one of the city - Kingdoms founded by the Mycenaean's
when they came to Cyprus. The Mycenaean's, or Achaeans, were the
creators of the Mycenaean civilization in Greece, and they settled
in Cyprus between 1400 BC. and 1100 BC. The Greek presence and the
cities linked to the settlement of the Mycenaean's in Cyprus can
be verified by inscriptions found in neighbouring countries.
The harsh battle for Cyprus between the successors of Alexander
the Great, Antigonus and Ptolemy led Marion to destruction.
Ptolemy, who finally prevailed, laid waste the city whose King had
taken the side of Antigonus, and transferred its inhabitants to
Paphos. Later, another member of the Ptolemy dynasty,
Philadelphus, founded a new city on the ruins of Marion, and gave
it the name of his wife, Arsinoe. The city, under its new name,
prospered during the Hellenistic and Roman Ages. In early
Christian times it was also an episcopate. For some years after
that, there was no mention of the city until the late Middle Ages
when reference was made to Chrysochous and later, Polis
Chrysochous. Nowadays, Polis is the administrative center of the
area which includes 23 Communities.