Salamis
Salamis Antik Kenti · Gazimağusa
The great classical city of the island, by the sea.
What to see at Salamis
- The gymnasium court is the image of Salamis: four colonnades round an open court, with close to forty columns still standing.
- Shafts of white, grey-veined and pinkish marble stand at unequal heights, many without capitals, among fallen drums and blocks.
- Headless statues stand in front of the bath wall and round the two corner pools, several on re-used column drums.
- Some of these columns and statues were brought from the theatre after the fourth-century earthquakes, so the court is a late reassembly.
- The Roman theatre keeps its semicircle of pale limestone seats divided by radial stairs, with restored rows above; it held up to 15,000.
- Early Christian basilicas and the baths lie spread among pines behind a long beach; the baths include a latrine with 44 seats.
History of Salamis
- c. 1100 BC
- Salamis is founded as Enkomi's successor.
- By the 8th century BC
- Rich burials in the necropolis show how wealthy the city has grown.
- AD 45
- Barnabas, born in Salamis, begins spreading Christianity across the island with Paul.
- 4th century
- Earthquakes destroy the city; columns and statues from the theatre are later re-set in the gymnasium.
- 367–403
- The metropolitan church of St Epiphanius dates to these years.
- 648
- After an Arab raid the last inhabitants move to Arsinoe, the town that becomes Gazimağusa.
- 1952
- Excavation of the site begins.
Visiting Salamis
Allow two to three hours. The site covers about a square kilometre among pines, so the gymnasium court, the theatre and the basilicas are separate walks. From November to March the site closes earlier. It lies near Yeniboğaziçi, north of Gazimağusa: the D950 road runs about 450 m away, a car park is mapped about 350 m off, and no bus stop is mapped within about 500 m.
About the Salamis 3D model
The model rebuilds the gymnasium court and the theatre from maps, aerial imagery and photographs. The court measures about 51 by 39 m with about 39 standing columns, the tallest, on the east side, near 7.4 m. The theatre has an outer radius of 36 m, eight pale lower rows and thirteen restored upper rows. The depth of the upper seating and the carving of the capitals are estimates. The latrine, the bath rooms and the rest of the city are not modelled.
Monuments near Salamis
- Royal Tombs of SalamisNine monumental tombs of the city's necropolis.
- St Barnabas MonasteryThe monastery over the grave of Barnabas, born in Salamis.
- EnkomiThe Bronze Age copper city Salamis succeeded.