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| Courtesy Cyprus Mail (file) |
The Cyprus Mail reports on the discovery of Bronze Age tombs and associated artefacts at the Hala Sultan Tekke site on the outskirts of Larnaca.
It’s an Islamic holy place, sometimes referred to as the third or fourth holiest site in the Muslim tradition. Accounts of the origin of the name a bit vague. Hala Sultan appears to have been the foster sister of Mohammed’s mother. Stories vary, but agree that she was buried there.
It’s a lovely spot on the salt lake, sometime home to migrating flamingos, and we have walked out there when staying in Larnaca. There’s a mosque, mausoleum, and cemetery.
The Muslim connection would be about fourteen hundred years ago, though the mosque is much more recent, as in early nineteenth century.
However, as a settlement, Hala Sultan Tekke is much older. It was an urban community in the late Bronze Age, approximately 16th to 11th century BCE.
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| Courtesy Cyprus Mail |
At that time it was connected to the Mediterranean and was one of the best protected harbours on the island. The city appears to have traded with all parts of the eastern Mediterranean and had an economy that included textiles, purple dyeing, agricultural, and metallurgy. Copper slag and furnaces have been uncovered.
Excavation has been ongoing for several years, though not so obtrusively that we were aware of it - or maybe we were just oblivious. A nice walk and we’ll see the flamingos if we’re lucky.
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