After nearly 140 years of silence, archaeologists have rediscovered the Temple of Apollo at Frangissa, Cyprus, once thought lost to time, along with fragments of colossal statues and treasures. The site, hidden in a quiet valley south of the village of Pera Orinis near ancient Tamassos, has now re-emerged as a vital link to Cyprus’s religious and cultural past.
The Department of Antiquities under the Deputy Ministry of Culture announced the conclusion of the 2024 excavation season, led by teams from the Universities of Frankfurt and Kiel/Würzburg. The project aimed to relocate and study the long-forgotten sanctuary first excavated in 1885.
German archaeologist Max Ohnefalsch-Richter initially uncovered the rural sanctuary in the late 19th century. At the time, his team uncovered an abundance of votive statues—numbering in the hundreds—some of which were of colossal size. However, after documenting the site, Ohnefalsch-Richter reburied it, covering the statue bases and courtyard walls.
Apparently, in 1885, during the rush to identify impressive finds, these were not recognized as significant objects. The sanctuary’s location was eventually forgotten, buried both physically and in historical memory.
Excavation team in Cyrpus locates temple of Apollo after careful trenching
In 2021, archaeologists from Frankfurt and Kiel/Würzburg resumed the search. Using small trenches, they successfully located the original site in 2023.
This year, large-scale excavations revealed substantial remains, including the sanctuary’s dedication courtyard and over 100 statue bases. Some bases supported figures of monumental size.
Among the most surprising discoveries were large numbers of statue fragments left behind during the 19th-century dig.
These fragments are now being matched with statues housed in the Cyprus Museum and the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, allowing curators to restore them more accurately.
New types of sculptures have also emerged. One notable find includes giant limestone feet, confirming the presence of life-sized male figures previously unknown at the site. Until now, colossal representations from Frangissa had only been documented in terracotta, such as the well-known “Colossus of Tamassos.”
Rare statues and treasures found at the Temple of Apollo in Cyprus
The excavation also unearthed rare offerings, including marbled glass beads and faience amulets, linking the sanctuary to wider cultural influences, including ancient Egypt.
Two statue bases with inscriptions added further insight. One bears Cypro-Syllabic characters, an early script used on the island. The other mentions the Ptolemies, the Hellenistic rulers of Egypt who once controlled Cyprus.
These findings show that the sanctuary remained active well beyond the archaic period, extending into the Hellenistic era. During that time, a new peristyle courtyard was added, likely used for ritual feasts.
Archaeologists are now studying the site’s architecture, which had been poorly documented in earlier records. Evidence suggests the statue court underwent multiple phases of construction and use. The ongoing research promises to shed light on how religious practices evolved at the site and how ancient worshippers once moved through its sacred spaces.
The rediscovery of Frangissa reopens a lost chapter of Cypriot history and offers scholars a rare second chance to understand its past.