Lazarus Tomb

(Baden's 1999 Mediterranean Jaunt / Overview)

Fuji Superia 400 / Pentax ESPIO 90MC (1999-11-24 ~10:15)
Click on above image for 1024 screen image (102 KB)
or get the full size image (163 KB)

In Larnaka, which was the oldest continually inhabited city on the planet, was the tomb and church of Saint Lazarus. The city used to be known as Kition, and it was fairly well known and traveled to in biblical times. St. Lazarus was buried there, and in about 890, his remains were rediscovered and disinterred. His bones were shipped off to Constantinople, but his skull was kept in this church that was then constructed over his tomb. The tomb now contains an empty sarcophagus beneath the bell tower, as his skull was in a glass enclosure inside the church. The church had been restored several times, and was in beautiful condition.

An interesting anecdote, is that when you first visit a new place, first impressions somehow are most significant. Just after I arrived in Cyprus, a taxi took me into Larnaka, where I waited for the inter-urban collectivo to take me to Limassol. I had to wait in a very pleasant little square, with a post office and a few cafes, where the city life was just beginning for the day, and workers were restoring a church yard. It gave me a very positive introduction to Cyprus, and it just coincidentally happened to be where this shot was taken from a month later.

[to page top]