Amathounta is one of the ancient city-kingdoms of Cyprus where, according to mythology, Greek hero Theseus left the pregnant Ariadne to be attended by local women. It was also an important site of worship of the Goddess Aphrodite-Astarte.

Amathounta Harbour was constructed during the Hellenistic period by Demetrios Poliorketes and consisted of two parts; the outer and the inner port.

By the 3rd century BC, the harbour was used only by fishermen, and by the 1st century AD, it was completely dry. Today it lies below sea level, but is easy to distinguish.