Vounous Cemetery

🪦 Vounous Cemetery (Vounous Necropolis), North Cyprus — Unearthing Cyprus’s Bronze Age Ghosts

Hidden in the foothills northeast of Bellapais, Vounous Cemetery (also known as Vounous-Bellapais Necropolis) is one of the most intriguing archaeological sites in North Cyprus. This Bronze Age burial ground offers a rare window into funerary rituals, social structures, and artistic expression over 4,000 years ago. The site is famed for the Vounous Bowl, ornate tombs carved into rock, and vibrant international efforts to revive heritage through festivals like the Terra-Cotta Symposium.
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🏛️Historical & Archaeological Background

📌 Location & context
• Vounous Cemetery is located in the Kyrenia (Girne) district of Northern Cyprus, on the slopes between the villages of Bellapais (Kazaphani) and Çatalköy (Ayios Epiktitos).

• The site occupies gentle slopes on a hill, bounded by valleys and ravines, overlooking the northern coastline.
• It is a necropolis (cemetery), and so far no associated settlement has been definitively located — making
Vounous remarkable because everything we know about its community comes through the dead.
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⛏ Excavation history

• Major excavations began in the 1930s, led by archaeologists Porphyrios Dikaios for the Cyprus Museum, along with C.F.A. Schaeffer, James and Eleanor Stewart, under the Swedish Cyprus Expedition and related teams.

• Dikaios’s work in 1931–1932 uncovered dozens of tombs (numbered 1–48 in certain areas) in the western sector of the necropolis.

• Later work by Stewart & Stewart extended investigation, including famous chamber tombs and facade entrances carved to resemble door frames.
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⌛ Chronology & cultural phases

• The cemetery spans from Early Cypriot I (~ 2300 BCE) through Middle Cypriot II (~ 1600 BCE).

• It is divided into Site A (primarily Early Cypriot) and Site B (continuing into Middle Cypriot) which together provide a nearly continuous burial record.
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🔎 Key Discoveries & Significance

⚰️ Rock-cut tomb architecture & mortuary practices

• The tombs are mostly rock-cut chamber graves with a dromos (entrance passage) sloping down toward them.

• Some tomb entrances include carved facades, mimicking architectural door frames, possibly to reflect houses or symbolic thresholds.

• Burials are often contracted inhumations, accompanied by grave goods (pottery, tools, figurines) and sometimes sealed entrances.

• Many tombs yielded animal bones (especially cattle), suggesting that part of burial rites included meals or sacrifices near or inside the tomb complexes.

• Some tombs even show evidence of secondary reopening, where graves had been looted and then re-sealed with votive offerings.
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⚱️ Pottery, figurines & the Vounous Bowl

• The pottery assemblage is rich: Red Polished ware, White Painted ware, and rare Black Polished ware appear in different tombs.

• The site is especially known for terra-cotta figurines and plastic (relief) decoration: snakes, birds, animals, human forms, symbolic scenes.

• The Vounous Bowl, discovered in one tomb, is a shallow ceramic basin decorated inside with miniature cows, human figures, architectural forms, and ritual scenes. It is a unique and celebrated find.

• This bowl (and other finds) are now held in museums like the Cyprus Museum, Louvre, British Museum, and others.
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✨ Cultural & historical importance

• Because no associated settlement is known, Vounous challenges archaeologists to reconstruct social life purely through funerary remains.

• The degree of elaboration in tombs and objects suggests social stratification, ritual complexity, and possible regional power in this part of Bronze Age Cyprus.

• The annual International Terra-Cotta Symposium, held since 2017 near the necropolis, aims to revive interest, produce replica ceramics, and push for an open-air museum model.
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🙈What Remains to See Today

Visiting Vounous is more about atmosphere and fragments than grand ruins—but what remains is evocative:

👉 Tomb chambers and dromoi: You can still spot rock-cut passageways and chamber outlines on the hill slopes.

👉 Facade carvings: Some tombs preserve carved door-frame motifs at entrances.

👉 Surface finds and scattered ceramics: Bits of broken pottery shards and fragments of figurines remain in situ or near the surface.

👉 Outdoor educational displays: During symposiums and events, replicas and interpretive panels are displayed near the site to help visitors understand the ancient artifacts.

👉 Panoramic setting: The hilltop position gives you sweeping views of the surrounding countryside, Bellapais monastery, and coastal slopes — enhancing the sense of isolation and antiquity.

Because the site is not yet a developed visitor campus, signage may be limited; guided tours or local knowledge are especially helpful.
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🧳 Visiting Vounous Cemetery: Tips & Practical Info

📌 Location & access
• The necropolis lies between Bellapais / Kazaphani and Çatalköy, northeast of Kyrenia.
• It is on the north slopes of a hill in the Kyrenia foothills.
• Access is typically by road — private vehicle, taxi, or as part of archaeological/heritage tours. Public transit may not bring you to the exact spot.
• Some walking uphill is involved — terrain is uneven, rocky paths.
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📅 Best time & planning
• Visit in spring or autumn when weather is mild and light is good for photography.
• Go in the morning or late afternoon to avoid harsh midday sun and to capture better shadows on tomb cuts.
• Wear sturdy hiking shoes, bring water, sun protection, and a hat — the site is exposed.
• Bring a local guide or guidebook — interpreting tomb layouts and artifacts in situ can be challenging without background.
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🙈 What to expect
• Minimal facilities: little shade, no cafés or restrooms likely, and modest signage.
• The experience is introspective — you trek through a quiet ancient cemetery, spotting stone cuts, fragments of tombs, shards in soil.
• The site often hosts the Vounous Terra-Cotta Symposium (usually in September), when extra displays, educational events, and ceramic workshops are available.
• Nearby cultural sites, like Bellapais Abbey, make for good combination trips.
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🎯 Why Vounous Cemetery Should Be on Your Heritage Radar

✅ A rare prehistoric cemetery with depth. Vounous spans centuries of Bronze Age burial practice, filling important gaps in Cypriot archaeology.

✅ The Vounous Bowl & narrative art. The Vounous Bowl is unparalleled in its narrative plastic scenes — a rare example of storytelling in burial ceramics.

✅ Archaeological intrigue & mystery. With no known settlement, the site poses challenges and puzzles to scholars — living communities shadowed only by their dead.

✅ Cultural revival & active heritage. The Terra-Cotta Symposium and ongoing efforts aim to elevate Vounous to an open-air museum, blending art, archaeology, and community.

✅ Scenic, contemplative experience. For travelers who seek places beyond the usual ruins, Vounous offers a quiet, emotional link to Cyprus’s deep past.
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🗓️Suggested Itinerary & Integration

You can include Vounous in a wider heritage route in Northern Cyprus:

🕒Morning: Depart Kyrenia toward Bellapais; visit Bellapais Abbey and nearby views
🕒Midday: Lunch in Bellapais or Çatalköy
🕒Afternoon: Ascend to Vounous Cemetery; spend 1–1.5 hours exploring tomb cuts, views, shards
🕒Late afternoon: Join or visit any symposium exhibits or local displays

Optional - Continue to Kyrenia Castle, local museums, or coastal stops