Larnaca, or Larnaka, is situated on the southeast coast of Cyprus.

Larnacas former name was Kition or Kittim (one of Noah’s descendants). The name Larnaca is derived from Greek word ‘larnax’ (coffin), which is probably a reminder of the many ancient coffins found on Kition’s grounds.

The Mycenaean Greeks fortified the town with cyclopean walls in the 12^th century while the Phoenicians founded a powerful kingdom here in the 9^th century. Kition is the birthplace of the philosopher Zeno, founder of the Stoic School, and it is here that Saint Lazarus came to live after his resurrection. In the 18^th century it became a commercial centre and the seat of the European consulates.