Kampanopetra Basilica | Famagusta

There is a track from the Temple of Zeus that leads towards the sea and the site of the Kampanopetra basilica or Harbour basilica. This is a serenely peaceful, and probably the most alluring, part of Salamis. Its attraction lies in the position it has on the shore with the usual east/west alignment of most basilicas, thus the sea is the back drop to the view down the central nave. In addition there is the most exquisite piece of opus sectile paving in the atrium of a small bath house at the easternmost end of the buildings. A masterpiece of the artisan‘s craft, the colours, symmetry and precision of the stonecutting is well worth the walk.

The calm of this site is tangible, disturbed only by the birdsong, the chirruping of crickets in the bushes, or the scuttle of a lizard as it is awakened from its hedonistic task of basking in the sun.