The Past
Limassol, lying between the ancient kingdoms of Kourion to the west and Amathus to the east, is the second largest town in Cyprus. Together with the suburbs surrounding it, it is already a large town, and is continually expanding in a coastal zone. It is a modern town, with fine residences, modern buildings, shops, luxury hotel complexes, countless restaurants & Taverns, and entertainment places to cater for all tastes.
The kernel of it is the old town, with its narrow, busy shopping streets, and old Archontika (Villas), which are now being restored and are veritable jewels of architecture. Limassol was always famous for its conviviality, and there are many festivals and events in the town, the main ones being the Carnival and the Wine Festival held every September. This conviviality stems from the outgoing character of the inhabitants, who have a great love of life and their town.
During pre-Christian times it was a small anonymous settlement, the inhabitants of which were occupied mainly in stock-raising and fishing. During the Early Byzantine period, Limassol was named Neapolis and and Theodosia. After the destruction of Amathus in the 12th century, the name Neapolis came to be used.

Nemesos
During the 10th century the town was called Nemesos, and was one of the most important towns on Cyprus. In 1191, during the Third Crusade, Richard the Lion heart of England arrived in Limassol and celebrated his marriage to Berengaria of Navarre in the castle of Limassol.
Amathus was destroyed after the defeat of Isaac Komninos’s army by Richard, and Limassol embarked upon a new era. During the Frankish period, the town flourished and then entered into decline. It was the seat of a Catholic bishop until the Turkish period, after which it was afflicted by natural disasters and raids. During the period of Turkish domination, Limassol was a wretched little village.
The establishment of British rule marked the beginning of a steady improvement in living standards and the development of trade and industry.
After the island became independent, Limassol developed both demographically and economically. There was explosive growth in all sectors, as the town became the most important tourist and commercial centre of Cyprus and the largest harbour on the island. A large number of foreign companies have their headquarters in Limassol.

Medieval Castle of Limassol
The Castle is only a few metres away from the old harbour of Limassol , and was probably built in the 13th c. The original form of the castle is unknown, since it has suffered repeated destruction.
It was restored in the 14th century. An earthquake, of 1491, combined with the large number of enemy raids led to the modification of its original design. In 1191, Richard the Lion heart celebrated his marriage to Berengaria of Navarre in the castle.
The Venetians later made many modifications to the castle so that is could be used in the defences of the town. During the British rule it was used it as a prison for sometime.
It now houses the Cyprus Medieval Museum, which contains objects dating from Early Christian times to the end of the Turkish period.
Near the medieval castle, on Ayiou Andreou Street, the old shopping centre, a few kilometres inside the old town of Limassol, stands the Church of Ayia Napa.
This church was built during the Ottoman period (early 18th c.) on the ruins of an earlier Byzantine church. In 1891 it was in turn replaced by a larger structure that was completed in 1906.
It is a three-aisled church with a marble Iconostasis and wall-paintings, mainly on the ceiling. The icon of Ayia Napa is sheathed with silver. The Old Town of Limassol, with its old Archontika (“villas”) and narrow alleys, is now a busy commercial and tourist centre, with many shops, cafes, banks and other modern facilities.

The area of Ayiou Andreou
In this same area, still on Ayiou Andreou Street , there is the Museum of Folk Art. Housed in a recently restored neoclassical building, and contains an extensive collection of artifacts of Cypriot folk art dating from the 19th and early 20th c.
Further along the same street is an imposing building that houses the Municipal Library of Limassol. This also serves as the cultural centre of the municipality.
At the end of Ayiou Andreou Street are the municipal gardens of Limassol, which has an open-air theatre.

The Archaeological Museum of Limassol
The Museum houses a rich collection of antiquities covering all the major periods of Cypriot history from the area of Limassol, particularly the finds from the excavations at the Amathus area.

Amathus
To the east, there is the archaeological site of Amathus. Amathus was one of the ancient city-kingdoms of Cyprus and dates from the 9th century BC. With its large harbour, it was a centre of trade until the 7th century AD. It was completely destroyed by Richard the Lion heart. Amathus was also the centre of an important cult of Aphrodite-Astarte. Found at this site were the ruins of a temple of Aphrodite on the Acropolis on the hill, the ancient agora, the remains of the ancient harbour, and ruins of a Byzantine basilica. The temple of Aphrodite dates from the Roman period in the first century BC.