Cyprus

12-22 July 2010

A few photos from our 10 days in Cyprus. As much of the time was spent visiting familiar places, there aren't photos of those.


This strange construction shelters part of the neolithic settlement of Kalavasos-Tenta. The site can be seen from the Limassol-Nicosia motorway, but this was our first visit.


The site dates from around the end of the seventh millennium BC


The village was initially excavated in 1947, with further work from 1976.


The settlement is surrounded by walls and consists of a compound of buildings with simple circular or double circular ground plans built with sun-dried mudbrick or stone or a combination of both. The roof was flat and was made of a wooden frame consisting of branches, reeds, and earth.


From the covered site, looking across a field to another part of Tenta, which we didn't visit this time.


A few kilometres up the road is another neolithic site, Khirokitia, which was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1998. These are reconstructions using authentic materials of two of the houses.


The village lines the steep slopes of this hill


There is an amazing number of densely packed houses, abandoned for unknown reasons around 6000BC.


This early culture was clearly a well developed society and was engaged in farming, hunting and herding


Further excavation work is ongoing here


Looking down on the reconstructed houses.


On a different pace, we hired a boat for a short ride from Paphos harbour


Looking back to Paphos harbour


Some of the hotels at Paphos


We had a fun few hours at the waterpark in Paphos - we didn't think to take any action photos, but grabbed a couple of quick shots as we left.


The lazy river ride.


Ben getting to grips with the swimming pool at villa Kambos.


Debbie and Mark with Ben and Thomas in the pool.
 

 

Back Up Next

Unless otherwise stated, all images copyright (c) Stephen and Lucy Dawson