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LARNACA |
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 Larnaca
is likely to give visitors their first impressions of Cyprus since the
island’s largest International Airport is found here. It has
flourished as a tourist resort over the past ten years and is the
third largest town in Cyprus. The Larnaca promenade, known locally as
‘Phinikoudhes’ or ‘Palms’ after the palm-trees that line the
sea front, is a popular meeting and walking place for local people. |
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Larnaca has
many historical sites to offer, including the Church of St. Lazarus,
Larnaca’s most impressive old building. |
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The
Hala Sultan Tekke, an important Moslem shrine, is said to contain the
remains of Hala Sultan, the maternal aunt of the Prophet Mohammed.
The mosque was built by the Turks in 1816, and is located
amid rich greenery creating an impressive sight, especially when viewed
across the Salt Lake. The famous church of Panagia Angeloktistos or
‘Built by Angels’. This 11th century building replaced an earlier one,
whilst the chapel at the entrance is from the 14th century and houses a
splendid collection of early Byzantine mosaics. The Old Aqueduct was built in 1745 to provide Larnaca with water. It was the largest of three and is known in Greek as ‘Kamares’ which means ‘arches’. |
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It was constructed in the 17th century and stands on the site of the
original 9th century church, which itself was built over the tomb of
Lazarus, whom Christ resurrected. Lazarus is said to have sailed to Kition
where he eventually died. The Pierides Museum is another place of
interest. It contains a large collection of archaeological finds amassed
by the Pierides family and the thousands of objects on show span Cypriot
history from Neolithic to Byzantine times. Khirokitia is the oldest
site that one may visit in the free south of Cyprus today, dating back to
Neolithic times (7000-8000 BC).