Enkomi

An important Bronze Age settlement on Salamis Bay in Cyprus. It was first founded in the Middle Bronze Age (2nd millennium BC) and flourished as a result of its copperworking, trading the metal widely through the east Mediterranean. After the collapse of Late Bronze Age Greece, Mycenaeans seized the town in the 13th century BC. About 1200 it was destroyed again, probably by the Peoples of the Sea, but continued with declining prosperity for another two centuries before being abandoned in favor of Salamis. There are major Cyclopean fortifications and fine ashlar architecture. Enkomi may have been Alashiya, the ancient capital of Cyprus.

A Middle and Late Bronze Age settlement on the Bay of Salamis in Cyprus. First settled early in the 2nd millennium bc, by cl500 bc it had become a major metalworking and trading settlement; many copper ingots have been found on the site and it is clear that Enkomi was involved in trading the metal from which Cyprus derives its name throughout the east Mediterranean. In the 13th century bc Enkomi seems to have been taken over by Mycenaeans, perhaps refugees from the Mycenaean collapse on the Greek mainland. The site continued to flourish as a trading centre until cl200 bc when it was attacked again, perhaps by the Peoples of the Sea. It was not abandoned, but started to decline from this point and by cl000 bc the site was deserted.