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Map of Cyprus showing Larnaca district in red.

Larnaca District is one of the six districts of Cyprus. Its main town is Larnaca. A small part of the district was occupied by the Turkish army in 1974.

The authorities in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus administer the Turkish-controlled parts of Larnaca District as part of Nicosia District.

Larnaca hosts both a port and the island's most important airport, Larnaca International Airport. The town also hosts the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque which is sometimes referred to as the third holiest site in Islam by some orientalists. However, this is not part of orthodox Muslim belief.

v t e Districts of Cyprus Famagusta Kyrenia Larnaca Limassol Nicosia Paphos

Coordinates: 34°53′N 33°28′E / 34.883°N 33.467°E / 34.883; 33.467

v t e Larnaca District Settlements Agia Anna Agioi Vavatsinias Agios Thedoros Alaminos Alethriko Anafotida Anglisides Aplanta Aradippou Arsos Athienou Avdellero Choirokoitia Delikipos Dromolaxia Kalavasos Kalo Chorio Kato Drys Kellia Kiti Kivisili Klavdia Kofinou Kornos Lageia Larnaca Lefkara Livadia Louroujina Mari Maroni Mazotos Melini Melouseia Meneou Menogeia Mosfiloti Odou Ora Ormideia Oroklini Pergamos Perivolia Petrofani Psematismenos Psevdas Pyla Pyrga Skarinou Softades Tersefanou Tochni Tremetousia Troulloi Vavatsinia Vavla Xylofagou Xylotymvou Zygi

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Larnaca
—  Municipality  —
Λάρνακα (Greek) Larnaka (Turkish)
Larnaca Location in Cyprus
Coordinates: 34°55′N 33°38′E / 34.917°N 33.633°E / 34.917; 33.633Coordinates: 34°55′N 33°38′E / 34.917°N 33.633°E / 34.917; 33.633
Country	Cyprus
District	Larnaca District
Government
• Mayor	Andreas Louroutziatis
• Vice Mayor	Petros Christodoulou
Population (2010)
• Municipality	72,000
• Urban	140,000
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Website	www.larnaka.com

Larnaca, (Greek: Λάρνακα, Lárnaka; Turkish: Larnaka/İskelel Phoenician: כתיון, Kityon) is the third largest city on the southern coast of Cyprus after Nicosia and Limassol. It has a population of 72,000 (2010) and is the island's second largest commercial port and an important tourist resort. The island's largest airport, Larnaca International Airport is located on the outskirts of the city.

To the north of the city lies the island's former oil refinery, which was reduced to a storage facility after the refinery was sold in 2008 to a Hollywood film studio for the filming of Waterworld 2. To the south is the Larnaca International Airport. The city of Larnaka is well known for its picturesque seafront, which includes rows of palm trees (or φοινικούδες finikoudes, in the Cypriot dialect). Larnaca Marina is one of the four official entry points, by sea, to Cyprus.

History[link]

This section requires expansion.

Larnaca, 1878.

18th century houses in old town

Larnaca was founded by Greeks (Mycenaean-Achaeans) in the 14th century B.C. and was known as Kition, or (in Latin) Citium. The biblical name Kittim, though derived from Citium, was generally used for Cyprus as a whole and occasionally by the Jews for the Greeks and Romans. Larnaca is colloquially known as "Skala" (Greek: Σκάλα) meaning "ladder" or "landing stage", referring to the town's status in history as an important port.^[1]

Like most Cypriote cities, Kition belonged to the Persian or Achaemenid Empire. In 450 BC, the Athenian general Cimon, died at sea defending the city of Citium in a major battle with the Persians. On his deathbed, he urged his officers to conceal his death from both their allies and the Persians. The quote, "Και Νεκρός Ενίκα" (kai nekros enika) ("Even in death he was victorious") refers to Kimon. A statue of "Kimon the Athenian" stands proudly on the sea front promenade of modern Larnaca.

Like other cities of Cyprus, it has suffered repeatedly from earthquakes, and in medieval times when its harbor silted up (a sign that the island was deforested and overgrazed) the population moved to Larnaca, on the open seafront farther south. The harbor and citadel have now disappeared. Traces remain of the circuit wall and of a sanctuary with copious terra-cotta offerings; the large cemetery has yielded constant loot from illicit excavations for more than a century.

Dig practically anywhere in the area from the tennis club past Chrysopolittissa church and you will find evidence of prior civilizations. Much of the yield near the surface is Roman and Venetian. Visit the museum by the Terra Santa Convent to see not only many exhibits but also the dig in its backyard with Ali Baba's storage jars.

The fort on the Larnaca seafront, with the removal of the Megalos Pefkos (the Big Tree) and a few other restaurants that were established on the sea front after the 1974 invasion, has recently been opened for better viewing.

Climate[link]

Landmarks[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

View of Larnaca from sea.

Larnaca Castle.

Foinikoudes .

The most important site of Larnaca is the ruin of Ancient Kitium. The earliest architectural remains date from the 13th century BC. The area was rebuilt by Achaean Greeks. The remains of the cyclopean walls, comprising giant blocks, and the complex of the five temples are particularly interesting.

Another interesting place is the marble bust of Zeno, which stands at the crossroads near the American Academy. Zeno was born in Kition in 334 BC. After studying philosophy in Athens, he founded the famous Stoic school of philosophy. Near Larnaca International Airport is the Larnaca Salt Lake.^[3] The lake fills with water during the winter and is visited by flocks of flamingoes who stay here from November until the end of March. It dries up in the summer. It once yielded a good quality of salt, which is scraped from the dried surface. The salt from this lake is now considered unfit for human consumption. About halfway between the monument of Zeno and the salt lake on the right is the underground chapel of Ayia Phaneromeni. It is a rock cavern with two chambers. The structure suggests that it once was a pagan tomb, possibly dating back to Phoenician times. The place is credited with various magical properties: thus those who suffer from headaches or other diseases walk three times round it and leave pieces of clothing or tufts of their hair on the grill in front of the south window. It is also much frequented by girls, who come here to pray for the safety of overseas lovers. The The Church of Lazarus (Agios Lazaros) is another magnificent Orthodox Church in Larnaca that was built in the town over the tomb of St. Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha. He died here and was buried in the church named after him. In 890 AD, his tomb was found bearing the inscription "Lazarus, bishop of Larnaca. Four days dead. Friend of Jesus." The marble sarcophagus can be seen inside the church under the Holy of Holies.

The Hala Sultan Tekke is about 5 km (3 mi) west of Larnaka, on the banks of the Salt Lake. It is equivalent to the Christian "monastery". Within the precincts of this Tekke is the tomb of Umm Haram, who was the foster mother of Prophet Mohammed. According to Muslim historical accounts Umm Haram died on this spot in 647 AD while accompanying the Arab invaders. She was buried here and later the Ottomans built the present mosque in her honour.

Another site of interest is the Fort of Larnaca which was erected by the Turks in 1625. This fort is now a museum, and its inner courtyard is used as an open-air garden theatre during the summer months, with the permission of the director of antiquities.

The Old Aqueduct, known as "The Kamares", stands outside the town on the road to Limassol. It was built by the Ottoman governor, Koca Bekir Pasha, in Roman style in 1745 to carry water from a source about six miles south of Larnaka into the town. The aqueduct is illuminated at night.

Economy[link]

Larnaca's economy has been growing since 1975, after the loss of the Port of Famagusta, which handled 80 percent of the general cargo, and the closure of the Nicosia International Airport meant that Larnaca's airport and seaport had increasingly important roles in the economy of the island.

A €650m upgrade of the Larnaca airport has been completed.

Many travel and tour operators and other travel-related companies, including Eurocypria Airlines, have their head offices in Larnaca.^[4]

The service sector, including tourism, employs three quarters of Larnaca's labor force.

Education[link]

There are over a hundred educational institutions in the city. Larnaca hosts the American Academy, a non-profit school that is supported by a multi-functional operation to achieve its core purpose of preschool-to-university-entrance education of the highest standard. Larnaca also hosts Kimon college, which is a private institution of higher education.

In addition to the various Greek-speaking elementary schools, Larnaca is home to the Larnaca Nareg Armenian school.

Culture[link]

Arts[link]

Larnaca has a theatre and an art gallery, which are operated by the municipality, and is home to the celebrated Pieridis Museum of Antiquities, founded by Demetrios Pieridis. It is also the location of two art schools: the Alexander College, which specializes in design; and the Cyprus College of Art, which specializes in fine art and houses the Intercollege. The Cornaro Institute is a cultural center in Old Town and which stages contemporary art exhibitions and other cultural events.

Music[link]

Larnaca boasts a Municipal Band of over 60 musicians who are competent in all families of musical instruments. Larnaca Municipal Band offers a large repertoire of music, ranging from parade music to Latin, and from Greek favorites to rock and roll. Apart from playing for parades on national holidays, the band also makes regular appearances at various concerts and music festivals throughout Cyprus and abroad, representing both Larnaca and Cyprus.

Sports[link]

Lazarus Church found in Larnaca.

The city is home to the football teams AEK Larnaca FC, and ALKI Larnaca FC. Both teams play in Zenon Stadium(GSZ Stadium). Since the occupation of the northern part of Cyprus by Turkey in 1974, the two teams of Famagusta, Anorthosis and Nea Salamina, have their own stadiums in Larnaca. "Antonis Papadopoulos" is the Anorthosis' stadium and "Ammochostos" (means Famagusta) is the stadium of Nea Salamina.

Larnaca hosted the European Under-19 Football Championship final, in 1998 and the European Under-17 Football Championship final in 1992.

Cuisine[link]

Taverns and pubs in the old streets of Larnaca

The beaches of Larnaca are lined with nearly identical seafood restaurants catering to tourists. Although there are many continental and international restaurants in Larnaca, visitors do not miss out on indulging in the local food. Many of the staple dishes involve beans, such as fasoulaki (French beans cooked in red wine with lamb), and louvi with lahana (black-eyed beans with chard). The mezes, or appetizers, are particularly delicious and are plentiful enough to constitute meals. Some of the standard appetizers are potato salad, kohlrabi salad, and hot, grilled black olives. The next course may include village sausage and sheftalia, dolmades and keftedes, kolokassi in tomato sauce, and several aubergine-based dishes. Baked or grilled lamb usually appears somewhere in the course of dining, as does some kind of fish. The slow pace of eating and the series of food courses makes dining in Larnaca a true delight.

Festivals[link]

Much of the activity is centered around the city promenade during the major festivals. The most important of these is Kataklysmos or the Festival of the Flood, celebrated in early summer with a series of cultural events. The festival used to last for about a week, but, in recent years, with the increased commercialism of peripheral stalls, rides and temporary loukmades restaurants, the festival been has extended to about three weeks, during which the seafront is closed to traffic in the evenings. Loukmades is a sweet delicacy.

Notable people[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

• Zeno of Citium, stoic philosopher
• Apollonios of Kition, (physician, 1st c BC, nicknamed ‘the Cypriot Hippocrates’)
• St Lazarus (although not born in Larnaca, he was the first Bishop of the town during 45-63AD and he died there - for the second time)
• Ada Nicodemou, actress
• George Charalambous, actor
• Ebubekir Pasha, Governor of Larnaca and philanthropist
• Dimitris Lipertis, 1866-1937 (national poet)
• Demetrios Pieridis, 1811-1895 (created the Pieridi Museum)
• Anna Vissi, a Greek-Cypriot singer
• Neoclis Kyriazis, medical doctor and historian
• Mehmet Nazim Adil, the leader of the Nakshbandi Sufi order (or Tekke) was born in Larnaca
• Kyriacos A. Athanasiou, a Cypriot-American academic, entrepreneur, and past-president of the Biomedical Engineering Society
• Stass Paraskos, Artist
• Giorgos Theofanous, Composer
• Garo Yepremian, Former Armenian-Cypriot NFL placekicker, played as a member of the 1972 Miami Dolphins, to date the only team in NFL history to finish with a perfect record.
• Mihalis Violaris singer, actor, composer. Pioneer of Cypriot music popularisation in Greece.

Municipal Council[link]

Building of District Administration Larnaca

The mayor of Larnaca is Andreas Moiseos and the deputy mayor is Alexis Michaelides.^[5][6]

The members of the council, according to political party are:

Pitsillides Michalakis

Transport[link]

Larnaca International Airport (the largest in Cyprus).

Larnaca International Airport in Larnaca is the main international airport in Cyprus.

Public transport[link]

Public transport in Larnaca is currently served only by buses. Bus routes and timetable can be found here http://www.cyprusbybus.com/routes.aspx?sid=6

International relations[link]

Twin towns — Sister cities[link]

Larnaca Municipality is twinned with the following:

See also[link]

• Larnaca International Airport
• Larnaca District
• Kittim

Notes[link]

• History of Larnaka by the official Municipality

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Larnaca

• Municipality of Larnaca Official Web Site
• Larnaka Municipal Wind Orchestra Official Web Site
• Larnaca travel guide from Wikitravel

v t e Municipalities of Cyprus Nicosia District Ayios Dhometios • Aglandjia • Engomi • Dali • Kythrea • Lakatamia • Latsia • Lefka • Morphou • Nicosia • Strovolos Limassol District Ayios Athanasios • Kato Polemidhia • Limassol • Mesa Yitonia • Yermasoyia Larnaca District Athienou • Aradippou • Larnaca • Lefkara Famagusta District Ayia Napa • Akanthou • Dherynia • Famagusta • Lefkoniko • Lysi • Paralimni Paphos District Paphos • Peyia • Polis • Yeroskipou Kyrenia District Karavas • Kyrenia • Lapithos

v t e Larnaca District Settlements Agia Anna Agioi Vavatsinias Agios Thedoros Alaminos Alethriko Anafotida Anglisides Aplanta Aradippou Arsos Athienou Avdellero Choirokoitia Delikipos Dromolaxia Kalavasos Kalo Chorio Kato Drys Kellia Kiti Kivisili Klavdia Kofinou Kornos Lageia Larnaca Lefkara Livadia Louroujina Mari Maroni Mazotos Melini Melouseia Meneou Menogeia Mosfiloti Odou Ora Ormideia Oroklini Pergamos Perivolia Petrofani Psematismenos Psevdas Pyla Pyrga Skarinou Softades Tersefanou Tochni Tremetousia Troulloi Vavatsinia Vavla Xylofagou Xylotymvou Zygi