Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LARNAKA
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Larnaka revolves around its seaside position. The lively coastal promenade - known uni-
versally as the Finikoudes - is where locals and visitors alike come for a morning coffee or
an evening beer, to flop out on the beach during the day and to stroll the wide pavement at
sunset. It's the hub of the scene with restaurants, cafes and bars galore and during summer
it fully revs up for the annual flood of holidaymakers.
Take a few steps inland though and a lesser tourism-centred side of Larnaka unfolds. The
modern downtown district has stayed determinedly low-rise and has a proper community
feel and working-town atmosphere. The old Turkish quarter of Skala is a slice of days-
gone-by Cyprus full of whitewashed, quaintly dilapidated cottages where the arts and crafts
traditions of the region are kept alive by the ceramic workshops which have moved in.
Between the two you'll find the gorgeous Byzantine church of Agios Lazaros and
Larnaka's little fort which have both - in their own ways - been keeping a beady eye on the
town for centuries.
History
Larnaka, originally known as Kition, was established during the Mycenaean expansion in
the 14th century BC. An influential Greek city kingdom of the late Bronze Age, Kition
prospered as a trading port through the export of copper. Withstanding rule by the Phoeni-
cians and then the Persians, the city flourished into the Hellenistic period, even adopting
the Phoenician fertility goddess Astarte, who was perhaps a precursor to Cypriot patron
goddess Aphrodite.
During the Greek-Persian wars, Athenian general Kimon attempted to liberate the city
from Persian rule in 450 BC. He died during the siege, urging his captains to conceal his
fate from both enemies and allies. The episode is famously told as
'Kai Nekros enika'
(Even in death he is victorious!). His bust now stands on the Finikoudes as a tribute.
Under Ottoman rule between the 16th and early 19th centuries, Larnaka attracted mer-
chants, dignitaries and foreign consuls. Many of these participated in amateur archaeology,
prevalent at the time and spirited away much of Larnaka's artefacts. The city's importance
slowly decreased during Britain's 88-year rule as trade moved through the port at Lemesos.
In 1974 the Turkish invasion of Northern Cyprus forced thousands of Greek Cypriots
south, dramatically increasing Larnaka's population. Today Larnaka has Armenian, Le-
banese, Pontian Greek and Palestinian settlers living alongside Cypriots and Europeans
with mixed backgrounds of their own. Tourism is now the town's primary industry.
