Cyprus Holidays | Cyprus Travel Series | Move to Cyprus | Tourism & Hospitality
5 years September 7, 2018
Larnaca: the Understated Tourist Destination in Cyprus
Tourists travelling to Cyprus for the purpose of vacationing, often wonder what to see in Larnaca. Indeed, this glorious city of Cyprus has a number of remarkable places, which must be visited without fail; even the city itself is a true embodiment of island life.
Larnaca Castle
In addition to the notorious Salt Lake, Larnaca has many interesting places, among which it is highly recommended seeing Larnaca Castle. Larnaca Castle is a medieval Turkish fort, located just south of Finikoudes beach. Once upon a time there was a fortress, founded in the era of the Lusignan rule.
For a long time, Cyprus was under the oppression of the Ottoman Empire. The Turks also left their mark in the history of the state and in this case rebuilt the fortress in their own way, after which they began to use the fort to protect the harbour.
During the colonisation of the UK, a police station operated on the site of the castle, and prison cells were located there. There is an opinion that the death penalty was carried out on the territory of the current castle.
Since Cyprus declared itself an independent republic, the police moved and the castle of Larnaca was converted into a historical museum. Now in Larnaca Castle you can see the finds of archaeologists, weapons, pottery and ancient household utensils. All exhibits are unique artifacts, discovered by scientists during the excavation of ancient Kition.
An overview of the historical museum lies under the roof of the castle. From here, a magnificent view of the city and the coast can be viewed. The museum also often organises cultural events which are not to be missed.
The Archaeological Museum of Larnaca
This museum is located in the heart of Larnaca and is no less interesting than the cultural heritage of Cyprus. Among the exhibits are a huge number of artifacts, most of which are exhibited in chronological order and are directly related to the history of Larnaca and its surrounding areas.
As is evident from the name of the museum, all the specimens presented in the institution were found by archaeologists. Tourists who are interested in the history of the city and the region will be curious to see the exhibits, preserved from the Neolithic to the present day.
Kition
In the literal sense “Kition” mean the ancient city of Cyprus, more precisely what was left of it. Now on the site, only the remains of 5 Phoenician churches built in honor of Aphrodite, the goddess of fertility, as well as stone walls used by the Phoenicians as defensive structures.
To this day, several tombs, family burial vaults and some other antique objects that are of great value to historians, architects and archaeologists have survived in Kition, which remains an onsite ancient burial and an open-air museum.