"Vouni Palace, An Ancient Place with Stunning View" Vouni Palace by Arkeolog

Vouni palace is 9 km west of Gemikonagi and 250 m above sea level on a cliff top.

Its origins are not known with certainty but it is thought to have been build during the Persian occupation in the 5th century B.C. The palace was, burnt down by a fire in 330 B.C. In a later document itswas found that its foundations were destroyed by the soli inhabitants .

Its original name even is unknown.The moderin meaning of it in Greek is mountain . All sources agree that sometime after 400 B.C. the place was destroyed by agents unknown upon re- establishment of Persian dominant.

The Swedish expedition dug here concurrently with their work at soli. The site is partially enclosed, and the ticket boot only sporadically attended. Foctise of the palace is a monumental seven- stepped stairway leading down into a courtyard, where a quitar - sloped stele, slotted at the top for a windlass, is propped on end before a deep eastern. This is one of several collection besliis on the bluff top, as the water supply was a problem and a priority, as suggested by the sophisticated bathing and drainage facilities of the luxuryloving ruling caste in the north west conier of the palace. At the centre of the stele, where you would expect the sounding hole to be, is an unfinished carved face, thought to be a goddess.

Palace architecture has the ability to reflect the power and the authority of the ruler with their architecture while serving both the ruling family and the community at the same time. Vouni is one of the four main palacial constructions of ancient period in Cyprus. Similar constructions around the region have also been identified in order to understand the influences of different cultures on the construction of this palace considering the fact that Cyprus was at the crossroads of different cultures due to its strategic location. As a result of the comparison of these constructions with Vouni Palace, their differences and similarities have been identified. Accordingly, Vouni Palace carries the same plan outline of having a group of rooms around the courtyard that is useful for the seasonal circumstances which appears in the early palace examples as well. However, Egyptian, Greece, Persian and Ionian influences are seen on the details of the palace ornaments, coins and statues. In addition to this, the bath section in the Vouni Palace is actually an important example of being the most developed one among the baths in the same period. As a result of the analysis done regarding the palace, distinctive similarities could be explained partly by the contemporary interaction of the cultures and partly by the usage habits which has been present over centuries.