The Department of Antiquities has officially opened a significant archaeological site in the heart of Protaras, a Neolithic village built on the eastern coast of Cyprus during the fifth millennium BC.
The settlement, open to the public daily, is located between Vyzakia and Lombardi beaches. Dating to the Ceramic Neolithic Period (5200-4800 BC), it represents the largest Neolithic settlement excavated and studied to date in the Famagusta district.
Through plans, photographs and informative text, visitors can understand the organisation of the Neolithic village and residents’ activities such as agriculture, animal husbandry, tool-making and social customs.
The material has been designed to be accessible to all knowledge levels, enhancing the sense of living contact with history and inviting tourists in this busy resort area to imagine life 7,000 years ago.
Excavations at the site were conducted over five periods between 1995 and 2001 under the guidance of the late Pavlos Flourentzos, former Director of the Department of Antiquities.
The excavations uncovered an area of 2,750 square metres, revealing forty dwellings, a protective wall, and numerous artefacts, including vessels, stone figurines, knives and blades, mortars, and necklaces made of picrolite and deer bones.
During the inauguration, Deputy Minister of Culture Dr Vasiliki Kassianidou explained, “We offer this site to the local community as a more direct contact with the past, strengthening the sense of identity with the area’s history. It is an opportunity to showcase the archaeological heritage of the region and connect modern life with its historical past. Additionally, by enhancing this site, Cyprus and particularly the Famagusta district strengthen their profile as a cultural destination, attracting both local and foreign visitors”.
This archaeological site, alongside Kastros at the tip of Cape Apostolos Andreas, which was researched shortly before the Turkish invasion, represent the only Neolithic settlements excavated in Famagusta district.
The much older Neolithic settlement at Apostolos Andreas was destroyed several years ago by the occupation regime to install two large flags at the cape.
Thus, the settlement in Paralimni remains the only excavated Neolithic site in Famagusta district, making its preservation and promotion essential.
The newly developed archaeological site at Paralimni-Nisia represents an initiative by the Department of Antiquities to highlight the cultural heritage of the Paralimni area and Cyprus more broadly.
The informative panels installed, with brief texts and visual material, play a crucial role in creating a living bridge of communication between the past and visitors.
