Hala Sultan Tekke (archaeological site)

Hala Sultan Tekke
Hala Sultan Tekke
Shown within Cyprus
Alternative nameDromolaxia-Vyzakia
LocationLarnaca, Cyprus
Coordinates34°53′07″N 33°36′36″E / 34.885277°N 33.610013°E / 34.885277; 33.610013
TypeSettlement
History
Founded2nd millennium BC
PeriodsLate Bronze Age
Site notes
Excavation dates1897–1898, 1948, 1971–2008, 2010–present
ArchaeologistsHenry Beauchamp Walters, John Winter Crowfoot, Arne Furumark, Vassos Karageorghis, Paul Åström, Peter Fischer
ConditionRuined
OwnershipPublic
Public accessNo

Hala Sultan Tekke (occasionally referred to as Dromolaxia-Vyzakia) is an ancient archaeological site which lies close to the mosque of the same name and the Larnaca International Airport on the south coast of Cyprus. The site lies on the western shore of the half square kilometer Larnaca Salt Lake. In the Late Bronze Age the lake was open to the Mediterranean, acting as a protected harbor for the settlement. Hala Sultan Tekke was occupied c. 1650 BC, and reached its peak in the 12th and 13th century BC before being destroyed and abandoned c. 1150 BC. Its ancient name is still unknown. The site has been subject to looting at various periods in the past and is endangered by modern deep agricultural plowing at the edges.