Kamares Aqueduct

The old aqueduct of Kamares is located to the west of the city of Larnaca and on north-west of Larnaca’s Salt Lake. The most famous section of the aqueduct is the one that is visible from the Larnaca – Limassol highway and bears the name of Kamares Aqueduct. The whole structure consists of 75 arches. Kamares in Greek mean arches.

The aqueduct was built in 1745 through a donation of the Turk official Abu Bekir Pasha, in order to provide water to the city and port of Larnaca, through Tremithos river and other minor water wells and to finally solve the city’s water shortage. This specific structure was a significant project of the Ottoman period and a deed of common well that is something unusual from a Turk official. According to folklore, Bekir Pasha appointed the Cypriot translator (Dragoumanos) Christofakis to construct the project, giving him a pouch of money. Christofakis lost the pouch and prayed to Saint George to help him find the money and in return Christofakis would built a Church to the Saint’s name. Saint George, through a vision-dream showed Christofakis where the pouch was and at that location the church of Saint George Arpera was built. The chapel is found north-east of Tersefanou village.

The aqueduct functioned up to the English occupation period, in 1939. Today the whole area around the structure is named Kamares. The aqueduct is significant to the City of Larnaca and part of its rich history. Especially spectacular is seeing the aqueduct during the nighttime with all its lighting.