Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ancient Enkomi (Alasia)
Ancient Enkomi
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
(Enkomi Ören Yeni; adult/student 5/3TL;
h
9am-7pm May-Sep, to 3.30pm Oct-Apr)
This Bronze Age city dates back as far as 1800 BC. It rose to prominence when it became
a large copper-producing centre during the late Bronze Age (1650-1050 BC).
What remains of the present site dates from around 1200 BC. The rectangular grid lay-
out was established then, and its fine public buildings were erected.
The site is a two kilometres west, along the same road, from the Church of Apostolos
Varnavas. The site itself is widespread and requires a lot of walking to get around. Pick up
a leaflet with map at the ticket office to help with navigation.
Enkomi was known for its high standard of living and its wealthy merchants who con-
ducted trade as agents of the Mycenaeans.
Akkadian cuneiform slabs found in Tel el-Amarna, Egypt, contain promises of copper
to the pharaoh from the king of Alasia, in return for silver and luxury items. It's still un-
clear whether the name Alasia referred to Cyprus as a whole or just Enkomi itself.
A fire and at least two earthquakes led to Enkomi's decline, and then its inland harbour
silted up. Some speculate that its last residents headed to the coast and founded Salamis.
Much of the site has been looted, but many of its tombs were said to have held gold, ivory
and exquisite Mycenaean pottery.
Southern Site
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
The southern end of the site (nearest the ticket office) is where excavations in the early
20th century unearthed some of Enkomi's most important finds.
From south to north you see the
House of Bronzes
, where bronze accoutrements were
unearthed in 1934, the
House of Pillar
, a public building, the
Sanctuary of the Horned
God
, where a 60cm-tall bronze statue (now in the Cyprus Museum) was found, and
Tomb
18
, where most of the site's treasure was recovered.
Cenotaph Mound
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
The cenotaph mound, built on a rocky outpost, escaped much of the looting the rest of
Enkomi suffered with its funeral pyre concealing much of its contents from tomb-robbers.
Limestone statues, amphorae from Rhodes, an archaic bronze shield and clay effigies have
all been recovered from here.
Archaeologists now contend that this probable tomb may have belonged to Nicocreon
and that the plain between Enkomi and Salamis was once a significant connection
between the two cities.
