City Orientation Walk

Transcription

1 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 - City Orientation Walk Founded by the Phoenicians on the south coast of Cyprus, today Larnaca is known primarily as a major leisure spot with a cute palm-lined seaside promenade. Historically though, it is famous for housing the 9th-century Church of Saint Lazarus containing the tomb of the saint that was once risen from the dead by Jesus himself. These and other religious and secular sights are made part of the Larnaca orientation walk that provide insight into the city's eventful past. Guide Location: Cyprus» Larnaca # of Attractions: 10 Tour Duration: 2 hour(s) Travel Distance: 4.0 km Please note: This walk is also featured in the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" downloadable on itunes App Store and Google Play. The app provides turn-by-turn GPS navigation to guide you from one tour sight to the next, so you will never be lost. The apps offer additional walking tours in Larnaca. Check them out! GPSmyCity offers self-guided walking tours in over 1,000 city around the world. Please visit for more walking tour offers. List of attractions included in this self-guided walking tour: A) Larnaca Marina B) Municipal Museum of Paleontology C) Pierides Museum D) Bust of Kimon E) Larnaca Fort and Medieval Museum F) Buyuk Mosque G) Church of Saint Lazarus H) Agia Phaneromeni Church I) Chalkidos Street Residence J) Salt Lake Park Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 -

2 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 2 - Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 2 -

3 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 3 - Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 3 -

4 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 - Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 -

5 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 - A) Larnaca Marina Located just near the Larnaca's heart bay, Larnaca Marina is the beauty opposite Phinikoudes Promenade. The Marina is actually an official port, home to about 450 yachts. The Marina offers a variety of services, such as renting a boat or just taking a walk by the sea. The Marina is entirely protected from all types of weather conditions and is a great place to get familiar with Larnaca's sailing culture. Address: Larnaca Marina, Larnaca, Cyprus Image Courtesy of Flickr and Leonid Mamchenkov B) Municipal Museum of Paleontology (must see) The Municipal Museum of Paleontology is located in the five consecutive stone-built colonial-style Customs warehouses on Phinikoudes Promenade, built in The Municipal Museum of Paleontology opened its doors in 1996 and was the first museum of its type in Larnaca. The museum's collection features unique foreign and Cypriot fossils from the very antiquity on Earth, some of them over 500 million years old. The Municipal Museum of Paleontology is one of the rare museums that displays how life evolved on Earth. Next to the museum is Larnaca Municipal Art Gallery, presenting exhibitions of works of both Cypriot and international artists. Address: Europe Square, Larnaca, Cyprus Image Courtesy of Flickr and Andra Moclinda-Bucuta C) Pierides Museum (must see) The Pierides Museum is the property of the Pierides Archaeological Foundation Museum. The museum is dedicated to all the works that initially belonged to Dimitris Pierides, who began to collect Cypriot art works, pottery and artifacts from tomb raiders in the 1830s. The museum includes rooms that cover the Neolithic and Roman periods, but also Cypriot folk art, Mycenaean pottery and Iron Age relics. Pierides Museum is located in the former house of Dimitris Pierides himself, an elegant mansion built in 1815, in traditional Cyprus Greek style with Turkish influences and features. Address: Zinonos Kitieos Street, 4, Larnaca, Cyprus Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 -

6 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 - Image Courtesy of Flickr and vintagedept D) Bust of Kimon The Bust of Kimon is a monument located on Phinikoudes Promenade. Also known as the Kimon Athenian Monument, it depicts the famous Athenian General Kimon ( BCE), watching over the harbour. General Kimon is famous for his victory over Persians in Kition. The Bust of Kimon is one of the most significant historical monuments in Larnaca. Address: Athens Avenue, Larnaca, Cyprus Image Courtesy of Flickr and Gaspa E) Larnaca Fort and Medieval Museum (must see) Larnaca Fort is a famous landmark in Larnaca, which today houses the Medieval Museum. The Fort's existence is said to have begun in 1380 A.D. as a prison, during early British rule. In 1625 A.D., the Fort underwent renovation. The second floor of the Fort is home to the Medieval Museum. They preserved artifacts from the Hala Sultan Tekke area, as well as from the ruins of Kitium. Larnaca Fort also offers a beautiful view of the coastline. Address: Athens Avenue, Larnaca, Cyprus Image Courtesy of Flickr and Chris Pieri F) Buyuk Mosque Located near Larnaca Fort, the Buyuk Mosque, the Grand Mosque, is considered the first Ottoman Mosque in Larnaca. Built approximately in the 13th or 14th century, the mosque was initiated as a Catholic church dedicated to Santa Katerina. The oldest date that is mentioned for the existence of the mosque is found in a 1747 document in which Bekir Pasha, the founder of the Kamares aqueduct, said that in front of the mosque there was a fountain that had to be provided with water from the Kamares acqueduct. Address: Athens Avenue, Larnaca, Cyprus Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 -

7 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 - Image Courtesy of Flickr and Ranoush. G) Church of Saint Lazarus (must see) The Church of Saint Lazarus, is a late-9th century church in Larnaca. It belongs to the Church of Cyprus, an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church. The church is an elongated building measuring 31.5 x 14.5 m with a tripartite sanctuary, semicircular apses internally and three-sided externally and a five-sided apse in the center. The interior structure of the church is divided into three aisles with bulky double pillars and arched openings going through them. These pillars bear the weight of the domes thus forming the central aisle while the north and south aisles bear a semi-cylindrical roof, intersected by cross-vaults. The stonework of the church consists mainly of square limestone block about a meter in thickness. The church has an open porch, from which steps descend into the church. Under Frankish and Venetian rule (the 13th to 16th centuries), the church became Roman Catholic. A stone covered portico (stoa) of Gothic style was added on its south side during this time. "(The above description is based on Wikipedia under Creative Common License)" Address: St. Lazarus Square, Larnaca, Cyprus Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Marcobadotti. Sight description based on Wikipedia. H) Agia Phaneromeni Church Situated on the main highway that connects Larnaca's Airport with the center of the city, Agia Phaneromeni Church is a classic Byzantine structure. The church was built over an ancient, prehistoric megalithic underground temple or tomb dating back to the 8th century, which was found before or around 1870, after some excavations in that area; these revealed a monolithic monument and holy icons. In 1920, with the help of generous donations, the picturesque church was built over the cave itself. Later, a new and much larger church was built to serve the parish, mirroring Byzantine tradition in its style. Address: Phaneromeni Avenue, Larnaca, Cyprus Image Courtesy of Flickr and Gaspa Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 -

8 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 8 - I) Chalkidos Street Residence The Chalkidos Street Residence is a piece of modern architecture in the old city of Larnaca. The design was conceived in 2000, and construction completed only in 2007 under the direction of architects Eleftheria Serghidou and Vasilis Pashiourtides. These two had the task of constructing a residence in its core yard and a swimming pool. The residence had specific challenges as its architects had to combine the use of the southeastern sun and the western, minimalistic look of concrete and glass. Chalkidos Street Residence enhances Larnaca's architectural scene. Address: Chalkidos Street, Larnaca, Cyprus Image Courtesy of J) Salt Lake Park Salt Lake Park is the green area located near Salt Lake. The park itself is a splendid collection of green trees with many paths. The park is also home to the Larnaca Amphitheatre, in which major concerts take place in Larnaca. Salt Lake Park is one of the greatest green zones of Larnaca as it provides direct access to Salt Lake and is also a place from which the flamingos in the lake can be seen. Address: Salt Lake Park, Larnaca, Cyprus Image Courtesy of Flickr and WagsomeDog Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 8 -