Larnaca, Cyprus – Larnaca Area

Larnaca area – Places of interest

HALA SULTAN TEKESI
3 km west of Larnaca on the road to Kiti, passing the Larnaca Airport.
Built in 1816 over the tomb of Umm Haram, allegedly a relative of Prophet Mohammed who died on this spot in 649 during the first Arab raids. The mosque is an important place of Moslem pilgrimage ranking immediately after the shrines of Mecca, Medina and Al Aqsha in Jerusalem.

ANGELOKTISTI CHURCH
Kiti village, 11 km west of Larnaca.
Angeloktisti means ‘Built by the Angels’. This llth centuryByzantine church was erected over the ruins of an Early Christian basilica. The original apse survived together with one of the finest pieces of Byzantine art, a rare 6th century mosaic of the Virgin Mary and Child between the two archangels, which rivals the Ravenna Mosaics.

ROYAL CHAPEL
Pyrga village, 35 km. south of Nicosia, 32 km from. Larnaca.
Built by the Lusignan King Janus in 1421, it contains a wall painting of the king with his wife, Charlotte de Bourbon, on one of its walls. It is considered one of the most interesting structures surviving from the Prankish Period.

STAVROVOUNI MONASTERY
9 km off the Nicosia – Limassol road, 40 km from Larnaca.
Perched on a rocky peak, Stavrovouni means Mountain of the Cross. According to tradition it was founded in the 4th century by Saint Helena, mother of Constantine tlie Great, wlio left a fragment of the Holy Cross to the monastery. The brotherhood is extremely devout, keeping vows as strict as those of the Mount Athos brotherhood in Greece. Women are not allowed in the monastery, though men may visit the monastery daily from sunrise to sunset, except from 12:00-13:00 (15:00 in summer), on Green Monday and the following day. There is an impressive ceremony and celebrations on 14th September, the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The Monastery of Agia Varvara (Saint Barbara) at the foot of Stavrovouni hill, is easily accessible. The monks here have a high reputation for icon painting.

LEFKARA
8 km from Skarmou, off the Nicosia – Limassol road, 40 km from Larnaca.
A picturesque village, famous for its local lace known as ‘Lefkaritika’ and tor its silverware. According to tradition, Leonardo Da Vinci visited the village and bought an altar cloth, which he donated to the Milan cathedral. The beautiful House of Patsalos houses the Lace and Silverware Museum of Lefkara. The church ofArchangelos Michail in Kato Lefkara is of the single aisled domed type and has wall paintings of the late 12th century. At Pano Lefkara there is the church of the Holy Cross with a beautiful 18th century iconostasis and a unique 13th century silver cross. A religious fair takes place on the 13th -14th September, in celebration of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

AGIOS MINAS CONVENT
Near Lefkara
15th century monastery with a church at the centre of the cloisters. The nuns, besides performing their religious rites, are involved in icon-painting. The monastery is open for visits daily, except between 12:00-15:00hrs. For organised group visits the monastery is open from Monday to Friday.

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Larnaca – Cyprus