The columns
Marble.
Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Michal Klajban — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany — CC BY-SA 2.0
Salamis was an ancient Greek city on the east coast of Cyprus, at the mouth of the Pedieos River, six kilometres north of Famagusta. Today it is a large archaeological site among pines and acacias near the sea, one of the most important on the island. Tradition says it was founded by Teucer, son of Telamon, king of the Greek island of Salamis, who could not go home after the Trojan War. Its earliest finds date to the 11th century BC. Assyrian inscriptions name it as one of the kingdoms of Cyprus, and it flourished in Greek and Roman times. You see paved stone paths lined with marble columns, some standing and some lying on the ground, and a Roman gymnasium with a coloured marble floor. The site holds Roman baths, round stone pools, headless marble statues, a Roman theatre and the blue sea behind the trees. It is about 8 km from central Famagusta in a straight line. The site is large and sunny, so bring water and a hat. Visitors from the south cross at the checkpoints with a passport, and the Republic of Cyprus treats entry through the north's airport as illegal entry.
Marble.
A coloured floor.
Headless.
North of Famagusta, east Cyprus
Teucer, son of Telamon, after the Trojan War.
Through the crossing points with a passport; the Republic of Cyprus treats entry via the north's airport as illegal.