Larnaca: from ancient civilisation to tourist destination

clduring this period that The Kition City Kingdom was
Legend has it that the first settlement in the area thatestablished by the Greeks, and it enjoyed the dual
became Larnaca (then known as Kition) was foundedposition of being both a rich port and a major centre of
by Noah’s great-grandson Kittim. At one timethe copper trade. It is also alluded to, in a list of allies of
Kition was the principal colony in Cyprus, of the ancientKing Assurbanipal of Assyria, that Kition was still a
civilisation of Phoenicia until becoming part of therecent settlement in the 7th century BC. The discovery
Greek Hellenistic world.of an official monument of King Sargon II also
The ancient site is at the north end of modern daysuggests that Kition was the administrative centre
Larnaca, with the earliest remains believed to go backduring this time.
to the Mycenean age (circa 1400-1100 BC). It was