Dome Beach Hotel

Folk dancing

by uglyscot

One evening we had a buffet for the conference participants in the Seabreeze restaurant at the Palm beach hotel. We were entertained by a bouzouki group and six folk dancers. the men wore black knee-length boots, baggy-seated black trousers, white blouson shirts and black waistcoats with red embroidery. The women wore black boots, red and peach striped dresses with bib and apron.
The dancing was lively and there was some very fancy footwork and kicks from the men.
One of the men did an act with coffee cups in a sieve like instrument which he twirled fast without spilling a drop.
It was all great fun and entertaining.

Lovely Larnaca Park

by Trillian2005

This small, enchanted park is located on Zenonos Kitieos Street, next to the post-office, not far from the Larnaca Haunted House, and diagonally across from the Pierides Museum. It's full of beautiful plants, flowers, a pond, and other surprises - well, the existence of this whole park is a surprise, and a pleasant one, since I didn't expect to encounter one, not in this location, anyway.

So if you want to rest from mailing your post-cards, from walking around in the Pierides Museum, or from the ghosts in the Haunted House, if you would like to eat a sandwich or have something to drink (from your backpack, of course) have a seat on one of the benches in the park and enjoy the trees and flowers, the bees and the birds, in this lovely, private garden type environment.

Best without rain!

Larnaca Aqueduct

by grayfo

The Larnaca Aqueduct was built in 1746 by Koca Bekir Pasha who realised the difficulties of fresh water access faced by the poor in the city. The aqueduct carried water from a source about 6 miles south of the town, with the supply involving a long underground tunnel, 250 air wells, and three series of overland arches. The aqueduct was repaired in 1856 and enabled the aqueduct to remain in use until the 1950s. Today the aqueduct is referred to as "The Kamares" ("The Arches") with the structure being illuminated at night.

June 1997

VISIT THE HALA SULTAN TEKKE ON THE SALT LAKE

by greekcypriot

The Salt Lake and the Tekke is the first thing you look at upon reaching Larnaca.
Larnaca Salt Lake is located close to the Larnaca International Airport. In winter the water levels rise but in summer the lake is dry. From November until March it is home to flamingos.

HISTORY OF THE TEKKE

Hala Sultan Tekke or the Mosque of Umm Haram is a very prominent Muslim shrine near Larnaca, on the island of Cyprus. Umm Haram (Hala Sultan in the Turkish language) was the Islamic prophet Muhammad's wet nurse and the wife of Ubada bin al-Samit[citation needed]. Most accounts[weasel words] establish a connection between the site and the death of Umm Haram during the first Arab raids on Cyprus under the Caliph Muawiyah between 647 and 649, which were later pursued throughout the Umayyad and the Abbasid periods. According to these accounts, Umm Haram, being of very old age, had fallen from her mule and had died during a siege of Larnaca. She was buried near the salt lake and her grave became a sacred shrine. The shrine, and later the mosque and the whole complex was named after her. According to Shia belief, her grave lies within Jannatul Baqi cemetery in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

In Ottoman times, a mosque complex was built in stages around the tomb, especially as of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The shrine structure was first erected by Sheikh Hassan in 1760. Later the mosque was constructed and the complex assumed its present form around 1816/17. Hala Sultan Tekke complex is composed of a mosque, mausoleum, minaret, cemetery, and living quarters for men and women. The term tekke (convent) applies to a building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood, or tariqa, and may have referred to an earlier feature of the location. The present-day complex, open to all and not belonging to a single religious movement, lies in a serene setting on the shores of the Larnaca Salt Lake, which appears to be an important site also in prehistory (see below). Hala Sultan Tekke is a listed Ancient Monument.

Larnaca - A beatuiful district

by gigina

"Ancient Larnaka"

Larnaca offers numerous sightseeing attractions. Larnaca' s former name was Kition or Kittim (one of Noah's descendants). The name Larnaca is derived from Greek word 'larnax' (coffin), which is probably a reminder of the many ancient coffins found on Kition's grounds.

Birthplace of the stoic philosopher Zeno, Larnaka was also the second home of St. Lazarus, who arrived there after his resurrection and later became its first Bishop. The Church of St Lazarus standing in the centre of the town is well worth a visit The tomb of St Lazarus, who is still the patron saint of Larnaka, is under the sanctuary.

"The Palm-lined seafront"

On the edge of Larnaka Bay the palm-lined seafront of Larnaka town bustles with cafes, tavernas, shops and bars. Larnaka is an excellent base from which to get to know the central and eastern section of Cyprus.

Larnaca is one of the major seaside resorts in Cyprus. There are numerous beaches in and around Larnaca which extend for approx 25 km (16 mi).
Much smaller than Nicosia or Limassol, Larnaka has a population of 62.000 and has managed to retain a relaxed, leisurely atmosphere. Its main shopping area is Zenon Kitieos Street, a typically busy road of small shops, with a wonderfully colourful fruit and vegetable market at the far end.

"Larnaca Salt Lake"

Near Larnaka International Airport there is the Larnaca Salt Lake. It fills with water during the winter and is visited by flocks of flamingoes who stay here from November till the end of March. It dries up in the summer. It used to yield a good quality of salt which was is scraped from its dried up surface.The salt from this lake is now considered unfit for human consumption.