In the presence of the Deputy Minister of Culture, the Mayor of Paralimni - Deryneia, the Director General of the Deputy Ministry of Culture, the Superintendent of the Department of Antiquities, and other local officials, were held by the Deputy Ministry of Culture, the Department of Antiquities and the Municipality of Paralimnii - Dheryneia on the afternoon of Thursday 16 October 2025 the inauguration of the Neolithic Period Archaeological Site "Nissia" in Protaras.
The Deputy Minister of Culture Dr.Vasiliki Kassianidou stressed in her address the importance of the opening of the Archaeological Site to the public, not only for the Municipality of Paralimnii - Deryneia and the province of Famagusta but also for the whole of Cyprus.
In turn, the Mayor of Paralimni - Deryneia thanked the Deputy Minister of Culture, the Director General of the Deputy Ministry and the Department of Antiquities for responding to the request of the Municipality to enable the site after almost thirty years that remained closed, to become accessible to the public, as, as he said, this site is an important part of the historical and cultural identity of the Municipality. A long, as he said, history which for more than seven thousand years continues and flourishes in the area of Protaras with important findings, not only of the Ceramic Neolithic period but also the Hellenistic period.
Special mention was made, during the inauguration ceremony, to the late former Director of the Department of Antiquities, Pavlos Flourentzos, under whose guidance the excavations in the site were carried out in five excavation periods between 1995 and 2001.
The Neolithic Settlement "Nissia" in Protaras
The Archaeological Settlement "Nissia" in Protaras belongs to the Neolithic B' period or else Neolithic Pottery period and dates back to around 5200-4800 BC. It is the largest settlement of the Neolithic period that has been excavated and investigated to date in Famagusta province. During the excavations of the Department of Antiquities, forty dwellings, a protective wall and a significant number of movable finds, such as vases, stone figurines, knives and blades, a fur coat, necklaces made of bitter stone and deer bones, etc. have been uncovered in an area of 2750 sq.m.
The settlement is open to the public daily and is located between the beaches of Vyzakia and Lombardi (near the Cavo Maris Hotel) in Protaras.
