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Salamis is just north of Famagusta (Gazimagusa) and
was, in its day, the leading city on the island until
it was destroyed by the Arabs in 648. Most of the surviving
remains are Roman or Byzantine in date. |
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Bob,
Toni, Lorna and Ron at Salamis |
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site has been excavated intermittently from the 1880's
until 1974 and large areas have been opened up. One
of the most impressive is the site of the Roman gymnasium
and the adjacent baths where the wealthier young citizens
would exercise their bodies and minds. |
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The
Palaestra |
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palaestra is where the young men would train and practice.
The colonnade provided shade and, when the boys had
finished, there were two swimming pools in which they
could cool off. The pools were originally surrounded
by nude statues of the gymnasiarchs (“headmasters”)
but these were later smashed by Christians. They have
now been replaced by headless statues of clothed women. |
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Salamis.
Pool at the Roman Palaestra |
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Bath
Complex |
Mosaic
Panel in the Bath House |
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bath complex is huge and was lavishly decorated with
frescoes and mosaics. There were hot, cold and tepid
baths along with saunas—bathing was an elaborate
social ritual in those days. |
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Bob
contemplating the cold plunge bath |
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The
Latrines |
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theatre—now much restored—was built during
the reign of the emperor Augustus and had a capacity
of 15,000 people. Like many other Cypriote theatres
it is used today for concerts.
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Statue
in the Theatre |
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750 metres to the south of the Gymnasium are the remains
of the principal marketplace of the city, the Agora
or Stone Forum—now in a very ruinous state. |
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Corinthian
capital from the Stone Forum |
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the beach to the east of the agora is the Kambanopetra
Basilica, noted for its very attractive mosaic floors,
which include a number of strikingly modern looking
spiral patterns. |
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North
Nicosia.The Souk |
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North
Nicosia.The Souk |
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