Enkomi

Enkomi was a pivotal Late Bronze Age urban centre near Famagusta in eastern Cyprus, active from approximately 1650 to 1050 BC. The city served as a major copper smelting and export hub with trade connections across the eastern Mediterranean, particularly to Ugarit. A 1375 BC tablet from Pharaoh Akhenaten references the Alashiya king's copper, strengthening the identification of Enkomi as Alasiya's capital. French and Cypriot expeditions (1934-1974) revealed ashlar architecture, rich chamber tombs containing gold diadems and silver cups, and significant Cypro-Minoan tablets. The city was overrun by the Sea Peoples around 1200 BC and finally abandoned after an earthquake c. 1050 BC.