First day we climbed up ancient Idalion's acropolis. It was really hot (up to 45 degrees) at 9.00 am!!.

The usual legend for the creation of this city is that after Troy's war the king Chalcanor landed in Cyprus and looked for the right place to build his city. The Achaeans were traveling all night and one soldier when he first saw the sun said “idou alion” (I see the sun), and so they named the city Idalion.

Truth to be said, the name Chalcanor derives from Chalcos, which means copper in ancient greek. In fact in the nearby of Idalion where characterized by big copper mines known since the Akkadian Age (which means the Third millennium b.C.). In fact Cyprus' name is told to be from a sumerian word for copper (kubar), to testify how big was the extraction of this mineral on the island. The Latin word for copper (cupreus) derives then from the island's name Cyprus.

I was amazes to know we actually twinned with the ancient city of copper. But then nobody could really tell me something more about mining and metallurgy....they also went on wronging all dates of chalcolithic and bronze age. I was so melting from the 45 degrees (celsius) and the boiling of having to ear legends more than history.... :D