This time we will go to the third largest city in Cyprus - Larnaca. This is a fairly large, by local standards, settlement, which has a seaport and an international airport. Trade and industry, as well as tourism, are developing well here. The city is located 70 km from the famous Limassol in the southeast of the island. The first thing that interests travelers who have arrived in the city of Larnaca is the sights that you need to have time to see in a very limited time.
The very first place to which you should pay attention is the Finikoudes embankment, completely seated with beautiful palm trees. The promenade offers magnificent views of the sea yachts and the bay. Here is the best local beach - Mackenzie
Beach. There are many
beaches in the city, of course, but this one is super! The place is well suited for outdoor enthusiasts. It is possible to go diving, for example, to dive to
sunken ships, take a boat trip, ride a paraglider. If you relax with children, visit the amusement park.
There is a tourist map of Larnaca specifically for tourists. From what is indicated on it, it is recommended to visit the Panaya Angeloktisti Church, St. Lazarus Church, Pieridis Museum, Al Kebir Mosque, an ancient aqueduct, as well as the Larnaca Fortress, used by the British as a prison. Nowadays, it has a museum.
A very interesting sight of the city, besides natural, is the Salt Lake, located 5 kilometers from Larnaca. It, according to legend, appeared by transforming a person who refused to give Saint Lazarus a bunch of grapes into salt water. In winter, you can observe a beautiful picture on the lake - pink flamingos live here. On the shore is the most important world Muslim shrine - the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque. Also nearby, on Mount Cross, is the oldest monastery in Cyprus - the man’s, called Stavrovouni. It is closed to tourists.
Larnaca, attractions - a little walk through the above list. The Pierides Museum is housed in a private house owned by the Pierides family. It presents the richest private collection of antiquities of the island, which were collected by five generations of the family. There is everything from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages. The collection of Roman glass is of particular interest.
If you follow the route Cyprus - Larnaca, sights will be found at almost every step. An interesting story is the church of St. Lazarus, which you will definitely meet on your way. It was built over the grave of the patron saint of the city on the orders of the Byzantine emperor Leo the Wise (886-912). According to legend, the resurrected Jesus Lazarus, fled to the island of Aphrodite from the Jews and became here the bishop of Kition.
Studying the city of Larnaca, its sights, one cannot but note the place
Muslim pilgrimages - Hala Sultan mosque. For them, this is the main shrine of Cyprus. Hala Sultan is a relative of Muhammad the Prophet. Arriving in Cyprus in 649, she fell from a mule stumbling on a stone and died immediately. This happened at the Salt Lake. Therefore, in the summer it dries completely.
Talking about the city of Larnaca, the sights of which, it seems, will never end, I would like to mention the town of Kitty near the city. It built the temple of Panagia Angeloctistos. Visit the oldest settlement on the island found on the hills near the Nicosia-Limassol highway. Do not miss the Lefkara Craft Center, famous for its traditional lace and embroidery. In the same village stands the Church of the Holy Cross - an impressive building built in the 14th century. A fragment of the cross from Calvary is stored in the sanctuary located here.