HISTORY · ROMAN AND EARLY CHRISTIAN
Early Christian Larnaca district: Angeloktisti at Kiti
At Kiti, outside Larnaca city, a church brings several building periods into one view. Use Angeloktisti to distinguish an Early Christian basilica, a surviving mosaic and a later Byzantine church.
Start with the building underneath
Visit Cyprus dates the earlier basilica to the fifth century and the church built over its ruins to the eleventh. The original apse survived. Those are different dates for different parts of the site, rather than competing answers to the question of how old the church is.
For a first encounter, keep three questions separate: when was the first building made, which part survives, and when was the building around it constructed? That approach is more useful than assigning one date to everything in view.
Sources: [1]
Read the mosaic as a separate historical layer
The sixth-century mosaic depicts the Virgin and Child between Michael and Gabriel. It belongs to the earlier history of the site, rather than the eleventh-century construction date.
Begin with the central figures, then consider how the image relates to the apse. A short description of what the mosaic represents provides a better starting point than a list of artistic superlatives. No photograph can replace checking which parts of a description refer to the image and which to the building.
Sources: [1]
Later additions and a local tradition
The tourism authority also records a Frankish facade and bell tower, and a tenth-century icon showing the Virgin, Lazarus and the Evangelist Loukas. It presents their meeting in Kition as a legend. Kiti, the location of this church, should not be confused with ancient Kition in Larnaca.
The legend belongs in an account of religious memory, with that label attached. It does not establish a dated meeting. Use this page as a regional example within the Roman and Early Christian section, then follow the period links for the wider historical sequence. Check current visiting arrangements separately before travelling.
Sources: [1]
Roman Integration
Roman Kition became part of a wider Roman Cyprus, marking a significant administrative shift. While the specific political mechanics remain outside our scope, this integration placed the local community within a broader imperial framework. Visitors should understand that this period established the foundational context for later developments. The material evidence points to this connectivity, though specific civic structures are not detailed here. This historical backdrop is essential for interpreting the subsequent religious and architectural changes that define the region’s identity today.
Larnaca’s Saint Lazarus
In Larnaca, the church of Saint Lazarus dates to around the tenth century. Excavations revealed earlier churches, with the oldest no earlier than the sixth century. These structures sit above a Hellenistic-Roman cemetery, indicating a long history of use. The archaeological evidence confirms the presence of these successive religious buildings. Visitors can appreciate the depth of this site, where layers of faith are physically stacked. The connection to the cemetery highlights the site’s continuous significance, though the specific details of the Hellenistic-Roman period remain separate from the later Christian constructions.