Salamis, the most celebrated city-kingdom of ancient Cyprus

Salamis spreads along a stretch of coast north of Famagusta, in the north of Cyprus, about 7 km from the walled town, and getting there means going through a Green Line checkpoint, with everything you need summed up in crossing to Northern Cyprus. The official warnings worth reading beforehand are gathered in Northern Cyprus. Of all the island’s ancient sites, this is the one on that side that tempts me most.

The city of Teucer

The Union of Cyprus Municipalities, on its Famagusta page, calls it the most glorious of Cypriot cities and the city of Teucer, the hero who by tradition founded it on his way back from Troy. The kingdom of Salamis was born in the 11th century BC, and for the Union it marks the arrival of the Achaeans on the island and the period when the first Cypriot kingdoms took shape.

Its best-remembered king is Evagoras. The same page says he rebelled against the Persians, restored Greek rule to Salamis in 411 BC, tried to unite all the kingdoms of Cyprus and was the one who brought the Greek alphabet to the island. The kingdom ended in the 3rd century BC, when Cyprus passed to Ptolemaic Egypt.

From Salamis to Constantia

Earthquakes in 332 and 342 flattened the city, by then already Christian. Constantius, one of the sons of Constantine the Great, rebuilt it and named it Constantia, and from then on it was the political and church capital of Cyprus. In the mid-7th century the Arab raids began, and the city was eventually abandoned as its people moved further south.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Protaras before prices climb.

What you see today

Encyclopaedia Britannica notes that the ancient theatre of Salamis has been restored, as has the one at Soli. English Wikipedia also describes baths, an amphitheatre, an agora and the basilica of Bishop Epiphanius, though I haven’t been able to check those against an official source.

There’s more around it. About 4 km away is Enkomi, the copper town the Union of Cyprus Municipalities dates to between the 16th and 12th centuries BC, at the mouth of the Pedieos river. The royal tombs and St Barnabas Monastery lie about 2.5 km to the west.

The Deryneia crossing and your visit

From Protaras you enter the north through the Deryneia checkpoint, roughly 14 km from the site, passport in hand. I can’t find opening times or prices for the site in any citable official source, so I won’t give any. I’d combine Salamis with the walled town of Famagusta and sleep in the south, in Famagusta district.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Salamis and choose by the reviews.

A car frees you from timetables: search car hire in Protaras on DiscoverCars and compare companies.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Protaras before prices climb.