CYPRUS – LARNACA

NOVEMBER 2 – 5, 2024

Pierre had a military reunion for the members who served as United Nations Peace Keepers from 1964-2024. He had served in 1974, fifty years ago.

We landed in Larnaca 3 days before the reunion was to start. We did not want to miss anything due to delayed flights or other unforeseen circumstances. It was a wise decision because one member arrived two days late, due to flight delays.

We took in some sights in Larnaca. We walked along most of the 3 km Promenade.

We went into the Larnca Fort / Castle. It is believed it was built in the late 12th century as a Byzantine fort. It has also been used as an artillery station, prison, and currently, a museum.

We peeked into the Buyuk Mosque, which is possibly the first Ottoman mosque in the whole of Cyprus. It was originally a Catholic church dating back to the 13th century.

We went into the Church of St. Lazarus. It did not look like much from the outside but inside WOW!

The first thing we noticed as we descended the stairs from the portico was the arched limestone pillars and ceiling, and massive chandelier.

Off to the right was a wall of icons and religious paintings, all in gold.

As the name of the church hints, it is the final burial place of St. Lazarus. Sometime after the death of Jesus, Lazarus was forced to flee Judea due to plots on his life. He arrived in Larnaca, Cyprus and lived another 30 years before dying a second and last time. His tomb was lost during a period of Arab rule, but in 890 a tomb was found with an inscription that read “Lazarus, four days dead, friend of Christ”. A church was built over his tomb. In 1972, during some renovations, a marble sarcophagus was found under the alter containing human remains.

One evening we spotted a couple of older men making kebabs on a rotisserie grill in the parking garage of their apartment across the street from our Airbnb. Smoke was billowing out like the place was on fire. When we questioned them about it, their response was “This is Cyprus.”

We went to the airport where we caught a shuttle bus to the Nicosia Hilton. Everything was arranged through Special Travel International.