Larnaka & the East - Cyprus - page 244

CHILDREN'S CYPRUS: CAMEL RIDES
Mazotos Camel Park ZOO
( % 2499 1243; www.camel-park.com ; Mazotos; adult/child €3/2, camel rides adult/child €9/6; h 9am-7pm May-
Sep, to 5pm Oct-Apr)
Kids had enough of archaeological sites and church icons? The Mazotos Camel Park is a great family day out.
Camels were once a mainstay of transport in Cyprus but this is the last place on the island where they can still be
seen. As well as camel rides, there's a swimming pool, play area and a petting zoo.
Mazotos Camel Park is 20 minutes from Larnaka by car. The entrance fee is deducted from activity fees.
Kamares Aqueduct
Sanctioned in 1746 by Ottoman governor Bekir Pasha, and built in classical Roman style
- some historians believe it is actually a Roman creation that was simply refurbished by
the Ottomans - the aqueduct was constructed to solve Larnaka's freshwater problems. It
originally ferried water from a source 10km south using underground tunnels, hundreds of
air wells and a series of overland arches, remnants of which can be glimpsed from the
freeway to Lemesos. The aqueduct remained in use until the 1950s. Today it is known as
'the Kamares' or 'the Arches'. The Larnaka municipality holds open-air concerts on the
lawns in front of the aqueduct, which is wonderfully illuminated by night. It can be found
close to the K Cineplex on the old road to Lemesos.
Hala Sultan Tekkesi
Hala Sultan Tekkesi MOSQUE
(Hala Sultan Tekke; h 9am-7.30pm May-Sep, to 5pm Oct-Apr)
Surrounded by date palms, cypresses and olive trees, this mosque and tekke (shrine), built
in the late 18th century, sit wistfully on the edge of Larnaka's salt lake. According to
Muslim lore, during the Arab raids on Cyprus in 674 Umm Haram, the revered aunt of the
Prophet Mohammed, fell from her mule and died at this exact spot. Her mausoleum and
shrine are in the small room attached to the main mosque prayer hall.
The mosque itself is still used and is a place of great reverence for Muslims who con-
sider it a place of major religious significance. If you wish to enter, dress modestly and re-
move your shoes before entering the prayer hall. The interior is very simple and modest
with little decoration except for the floor layered with prayer mats.