Last modified: 2020-05-26 by ivan sache
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![[Flag]](../images/c/cy-poch.gif)
Flag of Polis Chrysochous - Image by Tomislav Šipek, 15 November 2019
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The municipality of Polis Chrysochous (3,690 inhabitants in 2011), locally known as Polis or Chrysochou, is located 40 km north of Paphos.
Ivan Sache, 20 November 2019
The flag of Polis Chrysochous (photo) is white with the municipal emblem in the center.
The emblem recalls the old town of Marion / Arsinoe.
The local Museum of Marion-Arsinoe was erected by the Government of Cyprus with the financial support of Nicos Shakolas for storing and exhibiting finds from the ancient city of Marion (renamed Arsinoe in the 3rd century BC), its cemeteries and the surrounding area.
According to ancient literary sources recorded by Stephanos Vyzantios, the city of Marion was founded by the legendary King Marieas. Based on present evidence Marion was inhabited towards the end of the Neolithic and throughout the Chalcolithic period. It began to prosper from the Cypro-Archaic period onwards and became one of the most important ancient Cypriot city-kingdoms in the Cypro-Classical period with important commercial relations with the East Aegean islands, Attica and Corinth. In 312 B.C. it was conquered by Ptolemy I and the kingdom was abolished until its reconquest by Ptolemy II Philadelphus who renamed the city after his sister and wife. The new city was smaller than Marion but it flourished due to its proximity to the copper mines. Arsinoe continued to exist in the Roman, early Christian and early Byzantine periods at which point it seems to have suffered extensive destruction by the Arab raids of the 7th century A.D. Archaeological evidence indicates that the city was also inhabited during the Medieval period.
[Cyprus Department of Antiquities]
The central figure featured on the emblem represents one of the artifacts shown in the museum (photo).
Tomislav Šipek & Ivan Sache, 20 November 2019
