Not far from Makronisos, the most famous beach in the resort of Ayia Napa, are the equally famous rock tombs of the same name. This place became famous and popular thanks to the monastery of St Mary, built back in the 16th century. And, according to one version, it was chosen for burials because it was there, about 500 years before the creation of the first tomb, an icon of the Virgin Mary was discovered.
The Makronisos cave complex was created in the Greco-Roman period and consists of 19 small tombs carved directly into the rock, and a sanctuary made of rough stones. And next to them are the quarries. Almost all the caves have the same layout: there are steps leading from the entrance, and almost every cave is a rectangular room with three or four stone benches along the walls. The entrance, as a rule, is covered by a slab cut from limestone.
Back in the mid-19th century tombs were interested in "black archaeologists", who simply looted many tombs. But large-scale official excavations in this place began only at the end of the last century, namely in 1989. Archaeologists have established that the bodies of the dead were placed in sarcophagi, which were made of clay, and only then laid in crypts. According to Greek tradition, ceremonial funeral pyres were built nearby
Although excavations are still underway at Makronisos, the tombs are completely free to enter. They are protected by the International Archaeological Society.
