Larnaca

Located in its own square in the town centre, the magnificent stone church of Agios Lazaros is one of the most remarkable examples of Byzantine architecture in Cyprus and lies over the tomb of the saint. Built by Byzantine Emperor Leo VI in the 9th century, the church was restored in the 17th century. Although the three domes and original bell tower of the church were destroyed in the first years during Ottoman rule, the gold-covered iconostasis has survived today and is a superb example of baroque woodcarving.

Saint Lazarus came to Cyprus after being resurrected by Jesus. He was ordained as Bishop of Kition by the Apostles Barnabas and Paul and lived in the town for 30 years. His tomb can be seen under the sanctuary. The saint is so revered that a procession is held in his honour eight days before Easter. During the procession, the icon of Saint Lazarus is carried through the streets of Larnaka.

Next to the church is the Byzantine Museum, which exhibits important religious icons, artefacts and relics.

The Lake is known for its walking trails and the flamingoes who gather in the centre.
Larnaka Salt Lake is a complex network of four salt lakes (3 of them interconnected) of different sizes to the west of the Town of Larnaka. The largest is lake Aliki, followed by lake Orphani, lake Patsalos,and Para Orphani. They form the second largest salt lake in Cyprus after the Limassol Salt Lake. The total surface area of the lakes add up to 2.2 km² and being just off the road leading to Larnaka International Airport is one of the most distinctive landmarks of the area. Besides its picturesque beauty, the lake is the haunt of 85 species of water-birds with estimated populations between 20,000–38,000. It is one of the important migratory passages through Cyprus. Among them are 2,000–12,000 flamingoes ] which spend the winter months there feeding off populations of the brine shrimp Artemia salina.

Mosfiloti is a thoroughly Greek village of the Larnaca district and it is located at the “heart” of the three big cities, Nicosia, Limassol, and Larnaca. The Community of Mosfiloti has a distance of about 21 kilometres from Larnaca, 22 kilometres from Nicosia, and 44 kilometres from Limassol. These are distances that one can cover by car in 25 minutes.

The name of the village Mosfiloti (as well as that of the village “Mosfileri”) is synonymous and relates to the “mosfilia” tree (“crataegus azarolus”, loquat). The name indicates an area full of such trees. It is worth noting that the name used in Cyprus until today has ancient Greek origins. Not many loquat trees are extant today because, during the British rule and due to the poverty and the scarce jobs, there were plenty of woodcutters that cut down various trees, including the loquat trees, and sold their timber to the British for their fireplaces. They also used the timber for the construction of their manors.

Located in the centre of the old housing of Meniko is the church dedicated to Agios Kyprianos and Agia Ioustini.

The church is a basilica with ogive arches and staurolites and a particularly impressive bell tower. Through the centuries, several reconstruction works have taken place at the church of Agios Kyprianos and Agia Ioustini, something which has altered its original form.

On October 2nd, the name-day of Agios Kyprianos and Agia Ioustini, crowds of worshipers from all over Cyprus come to Meniko. On that day a big fair, which is actually one of the biggest in Cyprus, is organised at the community. Over the past few years, the church of Agios Kyprianos and Ioustini attracts worshipers from abroad as well, because of the miraculous properties of the Saints. Saint Kyprianos is known for removing curses and relieving people from bad spirits.

The interior of the church is adorned by a wooden iconostasis dated back to 1818. Next to the iconostasis, on the southern wall of the church, there is an exquisite hagiography of Agios Kyprianos and Agia Ioustini.