Lapithos

Lapithos or Lapethos (Greek: Λάπηθος, the pronunciation of which has changed since antiquity. Originally Cypriot Λάπαθος Lapathos. Turkish: Lapta) is a town of Kyrenia District on the northern coast of Cyprus. According to Strabo, the settlement was founded by Spartans. In Assyrian inscriptions, Lapithos is mentioned as one of the eleven Cypriot kingdoms. During the Persian rule, Lapithos was settled by Phoenicians. The last independent king Praxippos was subdued by Ptolemy I in 312 BC.

The town has been under Turkish control since the 1974 invasion, during which four thousand Lapithiotes became refugees.