Category: Culture / Sightseeing
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Larnaca, a town with an easy-going pace, has a strong links to the past. In the heart of modern Larnaca one finds remains of the ancient city-kingdom of Kition, reminiscent of its glorious days. The Mycenaean Greeks fortified the town with cyclopean walls in the 12th century while the Phoenicians founded a powerful kingdom here in the 9th century. Kition is the birthplace of the philosopher Zeno, and it is here that Saint Lazarus came to live after his resurrection
AGIOS LAZAROS CHURCH
Saint Lazarus is the patron Saint of Larnaca. Kition became his second home after his resurrection by Christ, and he lived here for another 30 years. In the 9th century a magnificent church was erected over his tomb by Emperor Leo VI. The church, one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture in Cyprus was faithfully restored in the 17th century.
THE PIERIDES FOUNDATION MUSEUM
The oldest privately owned museum in Cyprus set up by Dimitrios Pierides. It houses ancient, medieval, Byzantine and more recent objects belonging to the Pierides family.
HALA SULTAN TEKESI
Built in 1816 over the tomb of Umm Haram, allegedly a relative of Prophet Mohammed who died on this spot in 649 during the first Arab raids. The mosque is an important place of Moslem pilgrimage ranking immediately after the shrines of Mecca, Medina and Al Aqsha in Jerusalem
ANGELOKTISTI CHURCH
Angeloktisti means "Built by the Angels". This 11th century Byzantine church was erected over the ruins of an Early Christian Basilica. The original apse survived together with one of the finest pieces of Byzantine art, a rare 6th century mosaic of the Virgin Mary and Child between the two archangels, which rivals the Ravenna Mosaics.
ANCIENT KITION
One of the most important ancient city-kingdoms, with architectural remains dating back to the 13th century BC. In about 1200 BC it was rebuilt by the Mycenaean Greeks, and excavations have revealed cyclopean walls made of giant blocks of stone, and a complex of five temples.