Description of the attraction
Once a large city, the center of the economic, political and cultural life of Cyprus, Salamis (Salamis) was located not far from modern Famagusta. This ancient settlement played a really huge role in the development of the entire island.
Scientists are inclined to believe that the history of the city began during the Trojan War, when a settlement of the Achaean Greeks was founded on the coast of Famagusta. Over time, they moved inland, capturing the capital of the Cypriots, Alasia. Local residents had to look for another place to live. It was then that they founded their new city on the seashore, which later became known as Salamis.
According to another version, the city was founded by one of the participants in the Trojan War, Tevkrom, who was accused of the death of his brother Ajax. Because of this, he was cursed and exiled from his native island of Salamis. Tevkr settled in Cyprus and built a city there, naming it after his native country.
The first mentions of Salamis appear in the 7th century BC. For the entire period of its existence, the city was under the rule of different peoples: Egyptians, Persians, Romans. This settlement has always been a strategically important point - whoever managed to capture it could almost easily capture the entire island.
During the reign of Emperor Constantine, Salamis was rebuilt after a terrible earthquake, which not only destroyed the city itself, but also led to the death of most of its inhabitants. The new settlement also received the name Constance. However, Constance did not last very long. Constant pirate raids led to the fact that the city was almost completely destroyed, and people chose to move to Famagusta.
Now only ruins remain on the site of Salamis. But even they look large and majestic. So, there you can see the remains of an amphitheater, stadium, market square and even public restrooms. In addition, beautiful mosaics have survived to this day, which were used to decorate many buildings in the city.
