Archaeologists have rediscovered a long-lost sanctuary of the god Apollo near the ancient city-kingdom of Tamassos in Cyprus. Initially excavated by German archaeologist Max Ohnefalsch-Richter in 1885, the excavation lay hidden and lost to the sands of time—until now.
Located in the Frangissa Valley near the village of Pera Orinis, the sanctuary was once one of the richest rural sanctuaries in the region. Ohnefalsch-Richter had uncovered hundreds of votive statues, some of colossal size, and completely excavated the walls and statue bases of the sanctuary. Subsequently, however, the site was backfilled and lost to history.
That changed in 2021, when archaeologists from the Universities of Frankfurt and Kiel/Würzburg began excavating the forgotten sanctuary. Matthias Recke (Frankfurt) and Philipp Kobusch (Kiel/Würzburg) led the team that was able to locate the site of the first excavation last year. In 2024, extensive new excavations were resumed at Frangissa and revealed large sections of the sanctuary with structural foundations, the dedication courtyard, and over 100 statue bases—most of them colossal.
According to a press release by the Republic of Cyprus Department of Antiquities, among the finds were not only bases but also a staggering quantity of fragments from statues that had previously gone undetected in the 19th-century backfill. “It was found that the 19th-century fill contained not only the bases of the votive statues but also many statue fragments. It seems that, in 1885, in the rush to find impressive discoveries, these were not identified as artifacts,” stated the Excavation Committee of the Department of Antiquities (EK/IA/GS).
These discovered fragments are likely to help restore several statues now preserved in the Cyprus Museum and the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, providing scholars with the chance to reassemble figures that have been incomplete for more than a century. One of the most recent findings is pieces of limestone statues with giant-sized feet, testifying to the existence of massive male statues of the Archaic period (7th–6th centuries BCE). The only colossal representations known in Frangissa until then were in terracotta, e.g., the renowned “Colossus of Tamassos.”
In addition to the statues, archaeologists found a rich variety of votive offerings never before recorded at the site. They include Egyptian amulets made of faience—a glazed ceramic material that was used in ancient Egypt in sacred rituals—and marble glass beads. Their presence suggests complex cross-cultural exchanges and highlights the sanctuary’s broader religious significance.
Two of the bases of the statues have inscriptions that contribute to the historical timeline of the sanctuary. One features local Cypro-Syllabic script, and the other Greek script referring to the Ptolemies—the Hellenistic dynasty that ruled Egypt and also Cyprus after the fall of the island kingdoms. These inscriptions show that the sanctuary was still in use long after the Archaic period and well into the Hellenistic period.
There is also evidence of significant architectural developments during this later phase. A vast peristyle (colonnaded) courtyard was built alongside the votive area, possibly for ritual banquets or symposia. This discovery helps to place the sanctuary in context as not only a religious complex but also a social and ceremonial gathering place.
Importantly, the rediscovery offers researchers an exceptional chance to document and study architectural elements that had been poorly documented in the 19th-century excavation.
With modern techniques and academic focus, the re-excavation of the Apollo Sanctuary of Frangissa can redefine a key chapter in the history of Cypriot archaeology—linking together ancient ritual life, monumental sculpture, and international cultural exchange within a sacred space hidden for nearly 140 years.
More information: Republic of Cyprus
