Sea Pines Villa
Luxury villa for rent in Cyprus
culture
Dating from the Neolithic period, these reconstructed huts on the site of Chirokitia depict one of the most important and best preserved prehistoric sites of the eastern Mediterranean.
The Cyprus museum in Nicosia is home to the most extensive collection of Cypriot antiquities in the world.
The Hala Sultan Tekke, built in honour of the Prophet Mohammed’s aunt, who died here after falling from her horse, is an important place of Moslem pilgrimage. Its minaret rises up amidst a copse of tall palm and cypress trees, shimmering like an oasis mirage on the edge of the Larnaca salt lake, a favourite winter habitat for flamingoes and other migratory birds.
Dating from the Neolithic period, these reconstructed huts on the site of Chirokitia depict one of the most important and best preserved prehistoric sites of the eastern Mediterranean.
Experience at first hand one of the oldest civilisations of the world going back 10,000 years. From the hut dwellers of Chirokitia, to ancient Greek city-kingdoms, sunken trading ships, exquisite Roman mosaics, and marvellous Crusader castles perched on mountain tops, there's much to see in Cyprus.
Coveted down the centuries by all the big powers of the day due to its strategic position at the crossroad between three continents, the island is like a large open air museum where you can see evidence of its chequered past. Ancient Mycaenean Greeks, Egyptians, Persians, Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, French kings and queens, Venetians, Ottomans and the British, all left their mark.
Famous for its copper in antiquity, Cyprus (‘Kypros’ in Greek) may have given the metal its Latin name, cuprum. The cult of Aphrodite, the ancient Greek mythological goddess of love and beauty, flourished here, with people coming from all over the region to take part in the celebrations in her name. The island was the first country the apostles Paul and Barnabas visited in their mission to spread Christianity and the first to come under Christian administration. Many fine examples of Byzantine art survived here. Hidden away in the pine forests, are Cyprus’ painted churches with their colourful frescoes on walls and apses, ten of which have been put on the UNESCO World Heritage List.