Larnaca DescriptionCompared with the hustle and bustle of Limassol, the big-city atmosphere of Nicosia and the beauty and charm of Paphos, Larnaca is often overlooked.
But it would be a mistake to discount Larnaca as it really does have some beautiful places to visit, good beaches and lots of things to do. The first thing you'll know about Larnaca is that it is where the country's primary international airport is, and if you're not on a charter flight, then it's probably where your holiday begins.
The second thing you'll notice when you land, is the huge salt lake, which up until the airport got really busy, was a primary source for salt production in the country. Depending on when you land, you'll also be able to see how much rain Cyprus has had. If it's quite full of water, then you're visiting in winter, or we had a good season's rain. The other reason the salt lake is so important, is that it's a vital place for migrating birds. If you're around in the winter months, you'll be able to see thousand of flamingos, wild swans and other birds making their way south.
One of the most attractive parts of Larnaca though, has to be its palm-lined seafront walkway which is a favourite place for both locals and visitors. Commonly known as "Phinikoudes", which means Palm Trees in Greek, it's a great place to have a lovely walk, especially in the warmer months. You can either go in the morning for a brisk walk, followed by a scrumptious breakfast at one of the many surrounding cafes or restaurants, or you can go for a romantic late afternoon stroll, chased by a refreshing cold drink.
For something a little different, head out to the Kalavasos Dam, which is not only a very beautiful and peaceful place, it also allows you to take in some wonderful views of the surrounding countryside. As you drive through the village you'll be able to see the old abandoned railway and train, a reminder of the copper mines which used to dot Cyprus - in fact, "Cyprus" actually means "Copper" - a reference to ancient times when it was one of the main copper-producing countries in the Eastern Mediterranean. In fact, it's even said that Cyprus used to supply Ancient Egypt with copper for their pharaohs' jewels and armour.
Surrounding the promenade are the Marina and the Fort. While able to berth over four hundred yachts, the marina is not really accessible to anyone other than the owners and crew of the yachts, but the Fort, at the opposite end of the walkway most certainly is. It was built in the 1600's by the Ottomans and once the British took over, was used as a prison; it's now used much better as a venue for theatrical and musical events.
And as one of the oldest inhabited places in Cyprus, Larnaca, or Kition, is it used to be known, offers some great tributes and references to its ancient glories as one of the most settled city-kingdoms in ancient times. One of the world's great philosophers, Zenon, was even born in Kition. But it's not just about the past; Larnaca is also very much in the present and as one of the more less intense places in Cyprus, quietly gets on with its own business.
Compared with the hustle and bustle of Limassol, the big-city atmosphere of Nicosia and the beauty and charm of Paphos, Larnaca is often overlooked.
But it would be a mistake to discount Larnaca as it really does have some beautiful places to visit, good beaches and lots of things to do. The first thing you'll know about Larnaca is that it is where the country's primary international airport is, and if you're not on a charter flight, then it's probably where your holiday begins.
The second thing you'll notice when you land, is the huge salt lake, which up until the airport got really busy, was a primary source for salt production in the country. Depending on when you land, you'll also be able to see how much rain Cyprus has had. If it's quite full of water, then you're visiting in winter, or we had a good season's rain. The other reason the salt lake is so important, is that it's a vital place for migrating birds. If you're around in the winter months, you'll be able to see thousand of flamingos, wild swans and other birds making their way south.
One of the most attractive parts of Larnaca though, has to be its palm-lined seafront walkway which is a favourite place for both locals and visitors. Commonly known as "Phinikoudes", which means Palm Trees in Greek, it's a great place to have a lovely walk, especially in the warmer months. You can either go in the morning for a brisk walk, followed by a scrumptious breakfast at one of the many surrounding cafes or restaurants, or you can go for a romantic late afternoon stroll, chased by a refreshing cold drink. |
For something a little different, head out to the Kalavasos Dam, which is not only a very beautiful and peaceful place, it also allows you to take in some wonderful views of the surrounding countryside. As you drive through the village you'll be able to see the old abandoned railway and train, a reminder of the copper mines which used to dot Cyprus - in fact, "Cyprus" actually means "Copper" - a reference to ancient times when it was one of the main copper-producing countries in the Eastern Mediterranean. In fact, it's even said that Cyprus used to supply Ancient Egypt with copper for their pharaohs' jewels and armour.
Surrounding the promenade are the Marina and the Fort. While able to berth over four hundred yachts, the marina is not really accessible to anyone other than the owners and crew of the yachts, but the Fort, at the opposite end of the walkway most certainly is. It was built in the 1600's by the Ottomans and once the British took over, was used as a prison; it's now used much better as a venue for theatrical and musical events. |
And as one of the oldest inhabited places in Cyprus, Larnaca, or Kition, is it used to be known, offers some great tributes and references to its ancient glories as one of the most settled city-kingdoms in ancient times. One of the world's great philosophers, Zenon, was even born in Kition. But it's not just about the past; Larnaca is also very much in the present and as one of the more less intense places in Cyprus, quietly gets on with its own business.
Larnaca
Larnaca, (Greek: Λάρνακα, Lárnaka; Turkish: Larnaka/İskelel Phoenician: כתיון, Kityon) is the third largest city on the southern coast of Cyprus after Nicosia and Limassol. It has a population of 72,000 (2010) and is the island's second largest commercial port and an important tourist resort. The island's largest airport, Larnaca International Airport is located on the outskirts of the city.
To the north of the city lies the island's former oil refinery, which was reduced to a storage facility after the refinery itself was sold in 2008 to a Hollywood film studio for the filming of Waterworld 2. To the south is the Larnaca International Airport. The city of Larnaka is well known for its picturesque seafront which includes rows of palm trees (or φοινικούδες finikoudes, in the Cypriot dialect). Larnaca Marina is one of the four official entry points, by sea, to Cyprus.
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History
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Larnaca was founded by Greeks (Mycenaean-Achaeans) in the 14th century B.C. and was known as Kition, or (in Latin) Citium. The biblical name Kittim, though derived from Citium, was in fact used quite generally for Cyprus as a whole, and occasionally by the Jews for the Greeks and Romans. Larnaca is colloquially known as "Skala" (Greek: Σκάλα) meaning "ladder" or "landing stage", referring to the town's status in history as an important port.[1]
Like most Cypriote cities, Kition belonged to the Persian or Achaemenid Empire. In 450 BC, the Athenian general Cimon, died at sea defending the city of Citium in a major battle with the Persians. On his deathbed, he urged his officers to conceal his death from both their allies and the Persians. The quote "Και Νεκρός Ενίκα" ("Even in death he was victorious") refers to Kimon. A statue of "Kimon the Athenian" stands proudly on the sea front promenade of modern Larnaca.
Like other cities of Cyprus, it has suffered repeatedly from earthquakes, and in medieval times when its harbour silted up (a sign that the island was deforested and overgrazed) the population moved to Larnaca, on the open seafront farther south. The harbour and citadel have now disappeared. Traces remain of the circuit wall, and of a sanctuary with copious terra-cotta offerings; the large cemetery has yielded constant loot from illicit excavations for more than a century.
Dig practically anywhere in the area from the tennis club past Chrysopolittissa church and you will find evidence of prior civilizations. Much of the yield near the surface is Roman and Venetian. Visit the museum by the Terra Santa Convent to see not only many exhibits but also the dig in their backyard along with Ali Baba's storage jars.
The fort on Larnaca seafront has recently been opened up for better viewing by the removal of the Megalos Pefkos (the Big Tree) and a few other restaurants set up on the sea front by refugees after the 1974 invasion.
Climate
| [hide]Climate data for Larnaca | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 16.8 (62.2) |
16.8 (62.2) |
19.1 (66.4) |
22.5 (72.5) |
26.5 (79.7) |
30.3 (86.5) |
32.4 (90.3) |
32.7 (90.9) |
30.9 (87.6) |
28.1 (82.6) |
22.6 (72.7) |
18.3 (64.9) |
24.7 (76.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 12.1 (53.8) |
11.8 (53.2) |
13.9 (57.0) |
17.1 (62.8) |
21.2 (70.2) |
25.0 (77.0) |
27.3 (81.1) |
27.6 (81.7) |
25.4 (77.7) |
22.6 (72.7) |
17.5 (63.5) |
13.7 (56.7) |
19.6 (67.3) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 7.5 (45.5) |
6.9 (44.4) |
8.7 (47.7) |
11.7 (53.1) |
16.0 (60.8) |
19.8 (67.6) |
22.2 (72.0) |
22.6 (72.7) |
19.9 (67.8) |
17.1 (62.8) |
12.5 (54.5) |
9.2 (48.6) |
14.5 (58.1) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 77.6 (3.055) |
40.9 (1.61) |
34.4 (1.354) |
17.7 (0.697) |
8.80 (0.3465) |
2.70 (0.1063) |
0.60 (0.0236) |
0.40 (0.0157) |
7.10 (0.2795) |
13.8 (0.543) |
53.1 (2.091) |
94.5 (3.72) |
351.5 (13.839) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) | 7.9 | 5.7 | 4.5 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 4.7 | 8.0 | 37.6 |
| Sunshine hours | 195.3 | 208.8 | 238.7 | 267.0 | 331.7 | 378.0 | 387.5 | 365.8 | 312.0 | 275.9 | 216.0 | 179.8 | 3,356.5 |
| Source: Meteorological Service (Cyprus)[2] | |||||||||||||
Landmarks
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The most important site of Larnaca are the ruins of Ancient Kitium. The earliest architectural remains date back to the 13th century BC. The area was rebuilt by Achaean Greeks. The remains of the Cyclopean Walls, made of giant blocks and the complex of the five temples, are particularly interesting.
Another place of interest is the Marble Bust of Zeno, which stands at the crossroads near the American Academy. Zeno was born in Kition (ancient Larnaka) in 334 BC. After studying philosophy in Athens he founded the famous Stoic school of philosophy. Near Larnaca International Airport there is the Larnaca Salt Lake.[3] It fills with water during the winter and is visited by flocks of flamingoes who stay here from November till the end of March. It dries up in the summer. It used to yield a good quality of salt which was is scraped from its dried up surface.The salt from this lake is now considered unfit for human consumption. About half-way between the monument of Zeno and Salt Lake on the right, there is the underground chapel of Ayia Phaneromeni. It is a rock cavern with two chambers. The structure suggests that it once was a pagan tomb, possibly dating back to Phoenician times. The place is credited with various magical properties: thus those who suffer from headaches or other diseases walk three times round it and leave a piece of clothing or a tuft of their hair on the grill in front of the south window. It is also much frequented by girls, whose lovers are overseas, who come here to pray for their safety.
The Church of Lazarus (Agios Lazaros) is another magnificent Orthodox Church in Larnaca which was built in the town over the tomb of St. Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha. He died here and was buried in the church named after him. In 890 AD, his tomb was found bearing the inscription "Lazarus, bishop of Larnaca. Four days dead. Friend of Jesus." The marble sarcophagus can be seen inside the church under the Holy of Holies.
The Hala Sultan Tekke is about 5 km (3 mi) west of Larnaka, on the banks of the Salt Lake. It is equivalent to the Christian "monastery". Within the precincts of this Tekke is the tomb of Umm Haram, who was the foster mother of Prophet Mohammed. According to Muslim historical accounts Umm Haram died on this spot in 647 AD while accompanying the Arab invaders. She was buried here and later the Ottomans built the present mosque in her honour.
Another site of interest is the Fort of Larnaca which was erected by the Turks in 1625. This fort is now a museum and its inner courtyard is used as an open air garden - theatre during the summer months, by kind permission of the director of antiquities.
The Old Aqueduct known as "The Kamares", stands outside the town on the way to Limassol. It was built by the Ottoman Governor Koca Bekir Pasha in Roman style in 1745 to carry water from a source about 6 miles south of Larnaka into the town. The aqueduct is illuminated at night.
Economy
Larnaca's economy has been growing since 1975, after the loss of the Port of Famagusta, which handled 80 percent of the general cargo, and the closure of the Nicosia International Airport meant that Larnaca's ports (airport and seaport) had an increasing important role in the economy of the island.
A €650m upgrade of the Larnaca airport has been completed.
Many travel and tour operators and other travel related companies including Eurocypria Airlines have their head offices in Larnaca.[4]
The service sector, including tourism, employs three quarters of larnaca's labor force.
Arts
Larnaca has a theatre and art gallery both run by the Municipality, and is home to the celebrated Pieridis Museum of Antiquities, founded by Demetrios Pieridis. It is also the location of two art schools, the Alexander College, which specialises mainly in design subjects, the Cyprus College of Art, which concentrates of fine art, and also Intercollege. There is a cultural centre in the Old Town area called the Cornaro Institute, which stages contemporary art exhibitions and other cultural events.
The city is the home to the football teams AEK Larnaca FC, and ALKI Larnaca FC. Both teams play in a stadium of a city called GSZ Stadium or Zenon Stadium. Since the occupation of the northern part of Cyprus by Turkey in 1974, the two teams of Famagusta, Anorthosis and Nea Salamina, have their own stadiums in Larnaca. "Antonis Papadopoulos" is the Anorthosis' stadium and "Ammochostos" (means Famagusta) is the stadium of Nea Salamina.
Larnaca hosted the European Under-19 Football Championship final, in 1998 and the European Under-17 Football Championship final in 1992.
Cuisine
The beaches of Larnaca are lined with nearly identical seafood restaurants catering to tourists. Although there is lots of continental and international cuisine available in Larnaca, visitors do not miss out on indulging in the local food. Many of the staple dishes involve beans, such as fasoulaki (French beans cooked in red wine with lamb) and louvi with lahana (black-eyed beans with chard). The mezes, or appetisers, are particularly delicious and can almost be a meal in itself. Some of the standard appetisers are potato salad, kohlrabi salad and hot, grilled black olives. Your next course may include village sausage and sheftalia, dolmades and keftedes, kolokassi in tomato sauce and several aubergine-based dishes. Baked or grilled lamb usually appears somewhere in the course of dining, as does some kind of fish. The slow pace of eating and the series of food courses makes dining out in Larnaca a true delight.
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2009) |
- Zeno of Citium, stoic philosopher
- Apollonios of Kition, (physician, 1st c BC, nicknamed ‘the Cypriot Hippocrates’)
- St Lazarus (although not born in Larnaca, he was the first Bishop of the town during 45-63AD and he died there - for the second time)
- Ada Nicodemou, actress
- George Charalambous, actor
- Abu Bekr Pasha, Governor of Larnaca and philanthropist
- Dimitris Lipertis, 1866-1937 (national poet)
- Demetrios Pieridis, 1811-1895 (created the Pieridi Museum)
- Anna Vissi, a Greek-Cypriot singer
- Neoclis Kyriazis, medical doctor and historian
- Mehmet Nazim Adil, the leader of the Nakshbandi Sufi order (or Tekke) was born in Larnaca
- Kyriacos A. Athanasiou, a Cypriot-American academic, entrepreneur, and past-president of the Biomedical Engineering Society
- Stass Paraskos, Artist
- Giorgos Theofanous, Composer
- Garo Yepremian, Former Armenian-Cypriot NFL placekicker, played as a member of the 1972 Miami Dolphins, to date the only team in NFL history to finish with a perfect record.
- Mihalis Violaris singer, actor, composer. Pioneer of Cypriot music popularisation in Greece.
Public transport
Public transport in Larnaca is currently served only by buses. Bus routes and timetable can be found here http://www.cyprusbybus.com/routes.aspx?sid=6