Cyprus: Kolossi - Fortress of Kilossi of the Order of the Knights of St. John (15th century) In the heart of the richest valley in the south of Cyprus, west of Limassol, is one of the most important forts of Medieval Cyprus, the famous Kolossi Castle. Kolossi was occupied by the Knights of the Order of St John in the early 1300s, and even after the Order transferred its headquarters to Rhodes Kolossi continued to be the base for their military force. Indeed the friars dominated the area and reaped the rewards from its productive plantations. They are believed to be one of the earliest groups mass producing wine, under a co-operative of over 50 villages. The current fortress was constructed in the mid-1400s and was designed to withstand attack. The walls are more than a metre thick. 固opFoto / Fortean