The Vouni Palace

The palace, on a hill 250 meters above sea level, was built by the king of the city of Marion in the same region, who was a supporter of the Persians, in order to watch over the city of Soli.
It is understood that the palace was built during the Persian rule due to the eastern styles seen in the early period architecture. In 449 BC, when the Greek army under the command of General Kimon captured Kition and Marion, the city of Vouni also came under Greek rule. In 391 BC, when the King of Salamis, Evagoras, wanted to take all of Cyprus under his rule, the cities of Kition, Amathus and Soli had to ask for help from the Persians against Evagoras. Soli regained its political power by making an alliance with the Persians, and in 380 BC, burned and destroyed the city of Vouni, which constantly threatened it, and the city was never used again after this time.
Architectural Features of the Palace:
As a result of the excavations, four construction phases were found in the palace. The first phase was during the Persian rule It was built under the Persians in approximately 500 BC. The architectural core of the palace was shaped in this main phase. Again, there were some changes during the Persian rule between 500-450 BC. In 450/440 BC, the structure passed to Greek rule and underwent a radical architectural change. The constructions carried out under Greek control between 450/440-380 BC determined the fourth and final phase, and the palace burned and was abandoned in 380 BC. The palace mainly consisted of administrative sections, bedrooms, food depots, baths and workplaces. The city was built on three terraces created on the land sloping from the hill to the sea.
First terrace (Upper Terrace): It is at the highest point of the hill and has the Temple of Athena (5th century BC). This temple, which has a courtyard and forecourt, had statues and altars in its rectangular main room. It is thought that the southeastern rooms were used to protect the treasures.
Second Terrace (Middle Terrace): The palace and the religious buildings surrounding the palace are located on this terrace. It is estimated that the palace had 137 rooms. There is a cistern in the middle of the courtyard, which is located on the second terrace and is surrounded by rooms on three sides. Again, in some of the rooms where supplies were stored, pits with amphoras are noticeable. A toilet and a deep cistern are found in the north-west corner. Most of the rooms on the east side are storage. The baths are also located on this side. It can be said that the bath is the first fully equipped example of Roman baths.
Third Terrace (Lower Terrace): On this terrace, extending towards the sea, there were structures used by the public, with stone foundations and adobe upper structures.

TİKA's Contributions

Within the scope of the project carried out in 2024, the identification boards of the Vuni Palace ruins have been renewed.