Larnaka & the East - Cyprus - page 253

1 Sights
Agia Napa Monastery MONASTERY
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Plateia Seferi; h 9am-6pm)
Surreally surrounded by modern temples to partying, this beautiful monastery is a serene
reminder of the great history Agia Napa has to offer over and above its nightlife. Built in
1500 by the Venetians, it protects a cave in which an icon of the Virgin Mary was hidden
during the iconoclasm of the 7th and 8th centuries. Surviving Ottoman rule undamaged, it
served as both a convent and a monastery during different periods until it was abandoned
in 1758.
The structure is remarkably well-preserved with the stout protective walls opening up
onto a peaceful arcaded courtyard with a marble fountain, dating from 1530, covered by a
domed stone spectator area. Also of interest is the enormous 600-year-old sycamore tree
just outside the southern gate, complete with modern steel props designed to help hold its
giant branches.
The modest church has steps down into the cave alcove where the Virgin Mary icon
was hidden.
Thalassa Municipal Museum of the Sea MUSEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Leoforos Kryou Nerou 14; adult/child €4/1.50; h 9am-5pm Tue-Sat, 9am-1pm Mon, 3-7pm Sun
Jun-Sep, shorter hours rest of year)
This fantastic contemporary museum opened in 2005 and is dedicated to all things relating
to the sea. It shows the enormous impact the ocean has had on Cypriot life and culture.
The museum covers over 700 years of sea-life history and also houses an exact replica
of an ancient vessel that was shipwrecked off the coast of Kyrenia in the 3rd century BC.
Dubbed Kyrenia II, it was reconstructed by scientists using traditional methods and mater-
ials.
On the upper floor, exhibits include fossilised fish, corals, shells and all manner of sea
urchins and sea plants, but the star attraction is the complete skeleton of the pygmy hippo-
potamus (estimated to be more than 75,000 years old).
Most of the ground floor is taken up by the Kyrenia II replica but there are also exhibits
of archaeological artefacts that take you step-by-step through Cyprus' vast history.
The basement is home to the Tornaritis-Pierides Marine Life Musuem with displays of
shells, sponges and preserved and stuffed Mediterranean fish, sharks, turtles and sea birds.
Makronissos Tombs ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
( h dawn-dusk)