Soli Ruins

 

The history of Soli, one of the most important City Kingdoms established in Cyprus, dates back to B.C. It dates back to 700 BC.

Research shows that the city managed to maintain its important position for a long time due to its strategic location, fertile lands, port and nearby copper mines. Soli experienced its brightest period during the Roman period. Arab raids in the 7th century spelled the end of the city.

In research, gold and silver jewelry from the Hellenistic period were made in the 1st century BC.
A marble statue of Aphrodite and a relief depicting the battle with the Amazons, dating back to the 2nd century BC, were unearthed. In addition, the ruins of a columned street opening to the agora and a marble monumental fountain in the agora, dating back to the Hellenistic period, were also unearthed. It is known that Soli Basilica was built in the 2nd half of the 4th century and was one of the first churches built in Cyprus. Although it was expanded in the 5th and 6th centuries, it was destroyed by the Arab raids in the 7th century. The church, which has an entrance with three doors, has a courtyard surrounded by columns on four sides and a fountain. After the courtyard, the church is entered through another entrance with three doors. There are twelve columns arranged in two rows inside. Most of the mosaics on its floor, usually geometric and animal figures, have survived to this day.

The symbol of the city is the uniquely beautiful Swan mosaic in the Basilica.

Soli Roman Theater was built in 2 AD, instead of a Greek theater that used to be in the same place. It was built on the slope of a hill overlooking the sea, between the 1st century and the 3rd century. The semicircular section where the audience will sit is carved into the rocky part of the hill. This section and the choir place in the middle are separated by a low wall made of limestone, and the passage to the choir place and seating areas is provided by passages on the sides. The stage building of the theatre, which has an actual capacity of 4000 people, has two floors. This section is decorated with marble and sculptures. Traces of a temple dedicated to Aphrodite were found on a hill to the west of the theatre.

During the excavations carried out in 2005, very rich gold finds and archaeological artifacts were unearthed.

Located in the Lefke region, Soli is one of the ancient cities that can be visited in Northern Cyprus. Located on fertile lands, Soli had an important position on the island with its copper deposits and port in the region. Today, this settlement, which is under protection and opened to visitors, is one of the heritages of history worth protecting.

The origin of Soli dates back to B.C. It can be traced back to a list dating back to 700 BC that includes the cities from which the Assyrians received tribute. In this list, the name of the city is mentioned as Si-il-lu. According to old written sources, BC. In 580, Philokypros, one of the kings on the island, upon the advice of his teacher, the Athenian philosopher Solon, moved his capital from the city named Aepia to Si-il-lu and named it after his teacher. B.C. In 498, Soli, along with the other kingdoms on the island, rebelled against the Persians, who were the rulers of Cyprus, and were defeated. Soli experienced its brightest years during the Roman period. However, İ.S. By the 4th century, the port was too full for ships to enter and the copper mines were closed. The raids of Arab pirates in the 7th century spelled the end of the city. From the research, it was understood that there was a king’s palace in Soli, as in Vuni, on the acropolis covering the hill behind the theater. During the excavations, gold and silver jewelry from the Hellenistic period, B.C. A marble statue of Aphrodite made in the 1st century BC (Cyprus Museum – Southern Cyprus) and a statue of Aphrodite from the 1st century BC. A relief depicting the battle with the Amazons dating back to the 2nd century was discovered. It has been suggested that the sarcophagus known as the Fugger sarcophagus in the Vienna History Museum may have come from the Soli acropolis. During the excavations, the ruins of the columned street opening to the agora and the marble monumental fountain in the agora, dating back to the Hellenistic period, were also unearthed. The presence of fresh water resources, fertile soil and a sheltered harbour, as well as copper deposits and plenty of wood to process copper, show that Soli may not have been the first settlement established here. As a matter of fact, in archaeological excavations BC. Traces of a settlement dating back to the 11th century were found.

SOLI BASILICA

 

It is thought that the Soli basilica was built in the second half of the 4th century. It is one of the first churches built in Cyprus and has its own unique aspects. The 200-meter-long basilica started with a three-door entrance and an entrance hall. This was followed by a courtyard surrounded by columns on all four sides and with a fountain. After this, the main church was entered after an entrance with three doors and the narthex. Inside the church, giant columns carved from twelve stones arranged in two rows divided the nave into three. The bases of these columns are still in place today. There was a triple apse at the end of the nave. The pews in the middle belonged to bishops and priests. The floor of the church was completely covered with tessera mosaics (small stones cut into squares). Most of these mosaics have survived to the present day. To the mosaics, which were all geometric patterns in the beginning, animal figures were added over time, and then opus sectile mosaics (made from cut stone pieces) were added. Among the animal figures, the goose-like swan figure surrounded by vegetation and four small dolphins attracts attention. On the mosaic in front of the apse, the text “O Jesus, protect those who dedicated this mosaic” is read in Greek. In the Christian tradition, Soli is considered the place where Saint Mark was baptized by Saint Auxibius. Accordingly, Auxibius, a Christian Roman who took refuge in Soli in the 1st century, later became the first bishop of the Soli church.

SOLI THEATER

The Roman theater in Soli was built on the slope of a hill overlooking the sea, replacing a Greek theater that once stood in the same place. WORK. It dates from the end of the 2nd century and the beginning of the 3rd century. The section with semicircular seating rows reserved for the audience was partially carved into the rock of the hill. This place was separated from the middle part called the orchestra (choir place) by a low wall made of limestone blocks. Access to the orchestra and seating areas was provided through passages on both sides in front of the stage building. The surviving stones and marbles of the seating areas were used in the construction of the Port Sait dock in the 19th century. This part, which actually had a capacity of 4000 people, has been restored to half its height today. The stage building was two-storey, covered with marble and decorated with statues. The part that can be seen today was the platform on which the stage building was built. Traces of a temple dedicated to Isis and Aphrodite were found on a hill to the west of the theater.

In addition, the graduation ceremonies of the European University of Lefke and the annual L.A.U. Famous artist concerts of spring festivals are held.

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