The origins of Soli can be traced back to an Assyrian (700 BC) tribute list where it is referred to as Si-il-lu. It is also known that in 580 BC, King Philokypros moved his capital from Aepia to Si-il-lu on the advice of his mentor Solon, and renamed the town after the Athenian philosopher. In 498 BC along with most of the other city kingdoms of Cyprus, Soli rose against its Persian masters and wa...
This 137-room palace was built on a hilltop, 250m above current sea-level, by the Phoenician pro-Persian king of the neighbouring city Marion to watch over the pro-Greek city of Soli, following an unsuccessful revolt of the latter against the Persians in 498 BC. It was the headquarters of a garrison and consisted of state apartments, large storerooms and bathrooms. In 449 BC when the Persians were...
Tradition has it that in the 12th century, Mamas, a poor Cypriot hermit, refused to pay his taxes, and so troops were sent to bring him to the capital for punishment. On the way, the party came across a lion about to kill a lamb but Mamas saved the lamb, taking it in his arms, and then rode the wild lion into the capital city. Legend has it that the Byzantine authorities were so impressed with wha...
