The Akrotiri Peninsula is a short peninsula which includes the southernmost point of the island of

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

. It is bounded by

Episkopi Bay Episkopi Bay (; ) is a bay west of the Akrotiri Peninsula on the south-western shore of Cyprus, between Paphos and Akrotiri. On the other side of the Akrotiri Peninsula is Akrotiri Bay. It is famous for its beaches and fish restaurants. Despi ...

to the west and

Akrotiri Bay Akrotiri Bay (, ''Kolpos Akrotiriou''; ) is a part of the Mediterranean Sea east of the Akrotiri Peninsula on the southern coast of the island of Cyprus. The Western Sovereign Base Area of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, a British Overseas Territory se ...

to the east and has two capes to the south-west and south-east, known as Cape Zevgari and Cape Gata. The most prominent features of the peninsula are the Akrotiri Salt Lake and the

aerodrome An aerodrome, airfield, or airstrip is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for public or private use. Aerodromes inc ...

, which is

RAF Akrotiri Royal Air Force Akrotiri, commonly abbreviated RAF Akrotiri (; ) is a large Royal Air Force (RAF) military airbase on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which comprise Akroti ...

and Limassol BBC Relay. In December 2018, a Byzantine church with

mosaics A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...

including inscriptions in perfect condition dating back to the reign of

Emperor Heraclius Heraclius (; 11 February 641) was Byzantine emperor from 610 to 641. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the Exarch of Africa, led a revolt against the unpopular emperor Phocas. Heraclius's reign was ...

was discovered during the twelfth excavation season by the Department of Antiquities of Cyprusat the site of Katalymata ton Plakoton, according to an Athens Macedonia News Agency. The Greek Christian inscription described a text "''My Lord help those who honor your name''".

Environment

The peninsula, including a variety of

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

s, coastal scrub, dunes and the Episkopi cliffs, has been recognised as an

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

(IBA) by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...

because it supports breeding, wintering or passage migrant populations of several bird species. The wetlands to the north of the Akrotiri Salt Lake contain evidence for

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

climate change.

References

{{cyprus-geo-stub Peninsulas of Cyprus Important Bird Areas of Cyprus