Chirokitia: Neolithic Settlement and Village History

Chirokitia brings together the history of a Neolithic settlement and details of village life. The settlement of Choirokoitia lies on a steep slope on the west bank of the Maroni River. The hillside location, riverbank and circular dwellings make the site an engaging archaeological subject; a church at the village entrance and a traditional house in the village centre also reveal other sides of the place. If you enjoy talking about ways of life in the past with your family, the forms of the dwellings and the fortifications offer concrete starting points.

Neolithic settlement: dwellings and fortifications

Excavations at the Neolithic settlement began in 1936 under Porphyrios Dikaios. They resumed in 1976 with a French archaeological mission led by Alain Le Brun. The two dates mark the start of the work and its later continuation.

A dwelling unit consisted of several circular buildings arranged around a small courtyard with a grain mill. The courtyard helps make the relationship between the buildings clear: the description is not of a single house, but of a group with a shared interior space. If you are visiting with children, you can use this to ask how individual rooms and buildings together form a dwelling unit.

To improve understanding of the settlement and protect it, five circular buildings and part of the fortifications, including their entrance, were reconstructed. A broad enclosure wall was built on the settlement’s unfortified western side. This brings out two different scales: the arrangement of a dwelling unit and the built boundary along the western side.

Village history and routes

A church dedicated to Saint Demetrios, the myrrh-streaming saint, stands on the road leading to the entrance of Chirokitia. The traditional house of Petros Nicolaou is in the village centre and dates from 1903. These two named buildings offer a different scale from the Neolithic settlement: here, the focus is on individual village buildings rather than the layout of an entire settlement area.

A nature trail connects the village with the archaeological site. Chirokitia is also included in the thematic cycling routes of the Larnaca region. The “Traditional Villages Light” route starts in Tochni and leads to Choirokoitia, where the Neolithic settlement is located. This distinction is useful when planning your day: the nature trail connects the village and the site, while the cycling route starts in Tochni. Check local conditions for the nature trail and the latest details of the cycling route before setting out.

Plan a stay that suits you

When looking for a holiday apartment in Chirokitia, your preferred mix of activities is a useful guide. Would you like to focus on settlement architecture and village history, or also include a regional cycling trip? Your answer can help you shape your days around the topics you would like to explore together: the layout of a Neolithic dwelling unit, the village buildings, or including the cycling route in your plans.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Kato Lefkara, Tersefanou, Xylofagou, Melini, Aradippou, Livadia, Kato Drys, Athienou.

For the broader travel overview: Larnaca.