World Heritage Identification Number: 848
World Heritage since: 1998
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇨🇾 Cyprus
Continent: Asia
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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Choirokoitia: A Prehistoric Gem in the Eastern Mediterranean
Choirokoitia, located on the island of Cyprus, stands as a testament to the rich history and cultural development of the eastern Mediterranean during the Neolithic age. This remarkable archaeological site, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998, offers valuable insights into the evolution of human societies in this pivotal region.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The Neolithic settlement of Choirokoitia, occupied from the 7th to the 4th millennium B.C., is one of the most important prehistoric sites in the eastern Mediterranean. Its remains and the finds from the excavations there have thrown much light on the evolution of human society in this key region. Since only part of the site has been excavated, it forms an exceptional archaeological reserve for future study.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (ii): In the prehistoric period, Cyprus played a key role in the transmission of culture from the Near East to the European world. Criterion (iii): Choirokhoitia is an exceptionally well preserved archaeological site that has provided, and will continue to provide, scientific data of great importance relating to the spread of civilization from Asia to the Mediterranean world. Criterion (iv): Both the excavated remains and the untouched part of Choirokhoitia demonstrate clearly the origins of proto-urban settlement in the Mediterranean region and beyond.
Encyclopedia Record: Khirokitia
Khirokitia is an archaeological site on the island of Cyprus dating from the Neolithic age. It has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1998. The site is known as one of the most important and best preserved prehistoric sites of the eastern Mediterranean. Much of its importance lies in the evidence of an organised functional society in the form of a collective settlement, with surrounding fortifications for communal protection. The Neolithic aceramic period is represented by this settlement and around 20 other similar settlements spread throughout the island.Additional Site Details
Area: 6.2 hectares
(iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
Coordinates: 34.7967406661 , 33.3439431453
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© Ophelia2, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
