We passed this Archeological Site a few days earlier on our drive to the sea caves. Further investigation required an in person visit. This sprawling necropolis dates from the 4th century BCE. There are eight major tombs and a multitude of smaller ones. The US Consul in 1870 had a side gig of looting these tombs. He paid no heed to the established norms of archeologists, his poor storage allowed many items to break, he mixed artifacts from different sites and kept no notes about his "excavations." He amassed a huge hoard of 35,573 items and put them up for sale as a single lot. The lot was purchased by the US government and was the nucleus of the new Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This is an all too familiar story that we have heard in Greece, Turkey and now in Cyprus.
Tomb #1 is half above ground and half below ground
A narrow entry way leads to a large opening
There were three large niches on this wall
An idea of how large the interior space was
Many stand alone entrances dotted the site
No need to venture into the minor ones
All this tree needed was a crack in the rocks
A rather large lizard
Very prehistoric looking rough tailed rock agama, I would estimate it to be 2 feet long
Tomb #2 had many more decorative touches
It was much larger inside
Off in the distance is a wrecked ship
Down the stairs
To chambers
And passage ways
Lots of chiseling required
Cool rock formations
Doors and openings abound
There was extensive looting so it is hard to decipher which opening was original and which was a looter portal
This large opening was original
With carved flourishes above the entry
So many little openings everywhere
El Gato!
A long series of very steep and uneven steps
The Doric columns were carved out of the rock
They were of the Hellenistic style as Cyprus had come under the control of the Ptolemaic Greeks from Egypt
The walls and columns were covered in plaster to make them look like marble
Here the layer is removed to show how it was done
These tombs were made to mirror a residence
A long tunnel
Larger chambers were for higher ranking individuals
This hole looks to be after the fact perhaps made by looters
This is a really big place
The intrepid explorers
A big hole in the roof of the chamber
Each tomb had a well like each house would have
The niches look like a face peeking out of the darkness
This tomb has square columns that were not finished into round ones
Blending in with the coloration
Every tomb had been emptied prior to the 1920's
Some extra steep stairs
Topside they have build low walls to keep folks from falling in
A maze of walls and openings
We could have spent days looking in each opening
The signs were small 5 inches by 6 inches and were only at the main entrance to each tomb. So if you find the sign it is too late for the sign because you will already be at the stairs down into it.
Looking down into #5, I will be back
A very large chamber looking out
Tomb #8 has more decorative accents
The steepest stairs yet
This tomb has a central monolith of stone and chambers around the edges
Decorative pieces that had broken off
Looking down from above
A set of stairs led to the top of the monolith
It was a bit trick up on the top
My shadow and me up on top of the central stone
The explorer
A better look at how the plaster makes the tomb look nicer
That was where I was standing to the right
Some more decorative parts that had been found in the tomb
Places here for safekeeping
Off to tomb 5
It was big but the columns were square
It was more rough
But still a nice decorative touch
The center plaza
Built later for drainage?
Huge inner chambers
Tomb #7
It was later turned into a church
It was also very expansive
Column bases
See how small the signs are
The inner courtyard was more intact
The longest set of stairs in the complex
This sign is really worthless
Pretty Flower
This huge complex is not listed on the map
It is still being mapped
and documented
Big mushrooms
This mushroom is not poisonous nor is it tasty
Back at the house we see the seas are rough
But the sun is setting
Leaving us with a nice view
Still folks out
Enjoying the great temperature
See you sun!
It is time for the moon
Time for us to have dinner
