Salamis Harbour – Sunken Harbour of Evagoras, Famagusta
Σαλαμίς · Salamis of Cyprus · Konstantia · Old Salamis Lagoon Harbour
Iron Age to Early Byzantine (1100 BCE – 648 CE)·Cypriot-Greek / Phoenician / Ptolemaic / Roman / Byzantine·🇨🇾 Famagusta District, Salamis / Enkomi, Cyprus
About
About Salamis Harbour – Sunken Harbour of Evagoras, Famagusta
Salamis, chief Iron Age city-kingdom of Cyprus (founded c. 1100 BCE, capital under Evagoras 411–374 BCE), possessed twin lagoon harbours now drowned and silted west of the Pedieos river mouth. 0 m relative submergence since c. 400 BCE. The southern harbour served warships, the northern commercial vessels; both silted as the Pedieos delta prograded and the royal causeway subsided. The city moved to Arsinoe after 344 CE earthquakes; Justinian refounded as Constantia.
Extensive necropolis (Royal Tombs) and Gymnasium survive above water.
Why it mattersClassic Mediterranean lagoon harbour drowned by 2 m sea-level rise + delta progradation; type site for city-kingdom naval architecture in Cyprus.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Which basin was Evagoras war harbour vs commercial harbour
- 02Location of Teucer tomb under Gymnasium
Theories
- 01Harbour causeways are actually quay-moles, not roads (Flemming)
- 02Pedieos river diversion under Evagoras deepened southern basin artificially
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 1100 BCE (Iron Age Salamis); harbour 8th–5th c. BCE
- Period
- Iron Age to Early Byzantine (1100 BCE – 648 CE)
- Culture
- Cypriot-Greek / Phoenician / Ptolemaic / Roman / Byzantine
- Builders
- Teucrid Greeks / Evagoras dynasty
- Purpose
- Naval base and commercial lagoon port for east Cyprus and Levantine trade
- Abandoned
- 648 CE after Arab raids; moved to Arsinoe/Famagusta
- Rediscovered
- 1971–74 Flemming Cambridge Salamis lagoon survey
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 1100 BCE
Salamis founded
411–374 BCE
Evagoras I makes Salamis naval power, harbours fortified
306 BCE
Battle of Salamis Cyprus — Demetrius defeats Ptolemy
1971–74
Flemming surveys diagonal road and N/S quay roads at −2 m
On the ground
Structures & features
35.1833° N · 33.9036° E · 0 m · 3 mapped features
Diagonal road causeway-mole
causeway80 m ashlar causeway at −1.8 m in south lagoon
35.1845° N · 33.9020° ENorth/South quay road
quayN/S ashlar quay road at −2.0 m
35.1820° N · 33.9050° ERoyal Tombs necropolis above harbour
necropolis8th–5th c. BCE Royal Tombs 800 m west of harbour
35.1850° N · 33.8980° E