More sight seeing

Yesterday we did some more sightseeing in the immediate area around Larnaca. This church is a few blocks away from my hotel. It's named after St. Lazarus, the dude whom Jesus rose from the dead. According to tradition Lazarus was the first bishop of Larnaca (and I think Cyprus). His bones were supposedly held in the church until the Byzantine Emperor relocated them to Constantinople. I think today they're in Milan. This connection with Lazarus is important to the Orthodox of the island. As one guy told me in the church, "He lived his new life in Cyprus, and he's our saint."




The church has been rebuilt many times, and like many other things on Cyprus, it contains elements of the different cultures that ruled the island. The domed structures are typically Byzantine Orthodox; the bell tower looks very Italian, suggesting design by the venetians who controlled the island for a little under a hundred years; the vaulting is typical of Frankish (think "gothic") buildings.

This mosque, according to legend, holds the remains of Muhammed's Aunt's remains. She apparently accompanied her husband on a raid of the island, where she fell off her donkey and died. I think technically this is maybe the third most holy site in Islam.

This church is very old. How old, one can't say since it's been rebuilt several times. The important thing is that it houses a Byzantine religious Icon that predates the Iconoclasm controvesy of the early 800's AD. There are very few of these in existence. I got to see it, but unfortunately I couldn't take a picture.

This is a medieval tower built by the Venetians during their tenure in power. Situated on a high hill, the tower has 200 degrees of ocean visibility, making it a prime spot to watch for incoming enemies.

Well, that's it for now. I did some more seeing today and I'll post those pictures as soon as I have time. Later.