Another day in Cyprus, and we began with a bus ride out to Larnaca for the day. The entire way, I got to learn more in depth about just how much history Cyprus has—12,000 years worth of different cultures and developments! Our guide again kept the entire time interesting, this time explaining how some of the first people survived back in the Stone Age (such as how they built homes from stone in circular formations, gathered as many edible plants and berries as possible, and hunted pygmy elephants as well as hippos), and pointing out significant sites of Neolithic history (including the largest permanent settlement from the Neolithic Period in the world).

The lesson then went on to talk about the history of Turkish involvement with Cyprus, from the Ottoman Empire to more recently, with the 1974 invasion and the aftermath on relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. While the discussion was mostly focused on similar points to those of previous topics (like that the Ottomans converted many churches to mosques and halted the development of wine production during their rule, and how the 1974 invasion resulted in the loss of many important locations for Greek Cypriots, including the Nicosia airport and the port of Famagusta), it blended perfectly with our arrival at the Hala Sultan Tekke site. This significant location was packed with history, as it houses a tomb honoring Umm Haram (who’s husband had been a companion of the Prophet Mohammed, and she died at the site when she fell from a horse at an old age), a tekke or Muslim monastery-like housing area (which provided a place to live for not only men or women dedicated to their religion for life, but also entire families, though the genders did live separately behind a barrier), and a mosque (which was built by the Ottomans after they took over the island and rediscovered the tomb of Umm Haram). Interestingly, Umm Haram wasn’t the only one buried at the site, as many important Turkish figures were laid to rest in a cemetery on the grounds, including the wife of a descendant of Mohammed, who had a more prominent tomb just outside Umm Haram’s. One of the most fascinating parts of the visit for me, however, wasn’t so much the history but entering the mosque (as it was my first time ever doing so). While it was made clear by our guide that it wasn’t any more special than other mosques (the significance of the site is due to the tomb of Umm Haram), it was totally different walking around and seeing how Muslims worship. The layout was much less ornate than the churches I’ve seen, and very peaceful, so I thought it was a nice change of pace to explore the building in that silence and discover more about the Islamic religion.

Continuing with the tours, our next stop was St. Lazarus Church, which honors the man in biblical stories who was resurrected by Jesus. It was built on top of Lazarus’s second and final resting place, which I had the chance to visit from underneath the church alter. But the tomb wasn’t the only interesting feature of the structure. The entire interior was very impressive, and different from what I’ve seen in other churches (I’d never visited an Orthodox one). Our guide pointed out the many beautiful pieces of the church that make it unique, including preserved gravestones mounted on the exterior walls (from those who had been buried there before, so that the stones could be saved when they built the church around the excavated tomb), three different styles of architecture (Byzantine style for the original structure, with Gothic arches added later as well as a belltower when rules banning bells were lifted during the Ottoman period), wood patches on the ceiling from where three domes were once (to symbolize the idea of heaven being a dome over a then believed flat earth, with the number representing the parts of the Holy Trinity), and the gilded wall of icons behind the alter (unusually large due to the width of the church, and displaying important figures or scenes such as Virgin Mary, saints, the apostles, and the significant events of Jesus’s life). We even got to hear more details behind certain features, like how the Virgin Mary icon was donated by an important Russian monk who painted it after being so impressed by the church, and that worshippers used to kiss the icon so much (out of respect) that it had to be protected by a gold shield and later glass to preserve it. I definitely learned a lot about the history of the building as well as Orthodox Christianity by the end of it.

My favorite part of the day, however, was hands down the free time we had at Larnaca’s Old Town area! We all got to go to the beach (where I swam out to enjoy the calm and relatively warm water, collect some shells, take photos, and try to catch little fish with my hands, though not necessarily in that order) and then eat lunch, shop, and roam around the cute town streets. I ended up wandering with a few other girls in the group to browse some jewelry, buy a souvenir shirt and some carob-flavored Turkish Delights, and check out the local restaurants. After wrapping it all up with ice cream by the ocean, I was happy with my afternoon. The beach time was a welcome break from the constant learning experiences that we’ve been getting on the tours (though I am totally fascinated by history and different cultures, so it’s all been very fun), and I definitely enjoyed the chance to relax!