Kamares Aqueduct

The Kamares Aqueduct, also called the Bekir Pasha Aqueduct, stands on the road between Larnaca and the airport. Built in 1745 during Ottoman rule, it carried fresh water into Larnaca for nearly 200 years and was only decommissioned in 1939. The structure is still largely intact: 75 of its original arches survive, stretching across the flat ground south of the city in a long, elegant line.

The aqueduct is one of the few substantial Ottoman monuments in Cyprus outside Nicosia and Famagusta. It is not signposted particularly well but is visible from the road. A short walk along the base of the arches gives a sense of its scale — each arch is tall enough to walk under and the full structure extends several hundred metres. It makes a pleasant stop between the airport and the city centre.

things to do sight architecture
A story
The aqueduct was built in 1745 by the Ottoman governor Bekir Pasha, who funded it from his own fortune as a public work for the city. It supplied Larnaca with fresh water from springs at Arpera, 6 kilometres away, and continued operating until 1939 — almost 200 years. The project was controversial among Bekir Pasha's peers, who reportedly considered it wasteful spending. He ignored them, and the aqueduct became one of the best-loved structures in Cyprus.