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| We
all met up in Larnaka at the beginning of May for two
weeks exploring the antiquities of Cyprus. The island
is often called “the crossroads of the Mediterranean”
and it is no exaggeration. Here the mainstreams of Eastern
and Western civilization have mixed and mingled over
the millennia to produce a unique and fascinating blend. |
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At
the theatre with Willie, Bob, Toni, Ron and Lorna
|
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| The
modern city of Larnaka overlies ancient Kition, one
of the most important cities on the island from the
Bronze Age to Roman times. Cyprus had long had strong
connections with the Levant and, from the 8th century
BC, Kition was a Phoenician city. The earlier Bronze
Age temple was rebuilt using massive ashlar blocks and
dedicated to the fertility goddess Astarte. |
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The
foundations of the Astarte Temple at Kition |
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Consulting
the Oracle |
The
Larnaka waterfront |
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| Just
outside the modern city, beside a large salt marsh,
is one of the holiest sites in Islam— the tomb
and mosque of Umm Haram known as Hala Sultan Tekke.
She was the aunt and wet-nurse of the Prophet who apparently
fell off her mule and died (at a ripe, old age it should
be noted) while accompanying her husband on a plundering
expedition of the Cypriote coast. Among pilgrimage sites
the tomb ranks behind only Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem
in importance. |
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The
Mosque of Umm Haram at Hala Sultan Tekke |
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| A
little further down the road is the church of Panagia
Angeloktisti, which houses a sixth century mosaic of
the Virgin Mary. |
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The
Church of Panagia Angeloktisti with Bob enjoying the
tranquility of the gardens. |
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| The
Church of Ayios Lazaros contains the tomb of the saint
who is supposed to have fled to Cyprus after the death
of Jesus. |
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The
Tomb of Lazarus |
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