Kition: Military Port and Shipsheds

Discovered by French archaeologists at Kition-Bamboula in 1987, the site consists of a series of covered sheds (neoria) that were used for the storage and repair of the royal fleet of Kition. The ships were pulled directly from the water into the shipsheds, which are six meters wide and over thirty meters in length. Six sheds have been discovered in total, all parallel to each other, and each was covered by a tile roof supported by piers sunk into the ground. The site has sustained a significant amount of damage, as a combination of natural geological changes and urban improvement in Larnaca has destroyed a large part of the ancient remains. The structure was built under the rule of the Phoenicians who controlled the city of Kition during the fifth century BCE. This is evidenced by the presence of Phoenician inscriptions and temples, including a trophy with the victory inscription of King Milkyaton, found in 1990, which describes a victory of the royal navy.