NICOSIA, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- The discovery two years ago in Larnaca of a unique mosaic detailing the 12 Labours of Hercules, the Greek mythical hero, has developed into a headache for the city's Town Hall.
As Mayor Andreas Vyras aptly put it on Wednesday, "the 12 labors... will become 13".
The problem facing the Town Hall is how to preserve the mosaic and at the same time restore normality out of the havoc it has created to the lives of residents ever since.
The area where the mosaic was found has been sealed off since 2016.
Vyras criticized the Archeology Department for moving too slow with its excavation, resulting in misery for tens of residents who have to make a long detour to reach their doors.
The mosaic was brought to light while the city's sewerage board was carrying out road works in an area of the ancient city of Kition, a city-kingdom on the southern coast of Cyprus and the birthplace of the renowned stoic philosopher Zeno.
Workers came upon a second Century Roman bath whose floor was adorned with the 12 feats of Hercules.
Excavation stopped as a large part of the mosaic is under an old uninhabited house, which had to be expropriated and demolished first.
As the expropriation procedure is a long process, the mosaic was buried under a thick layer of sand to preserve it.
"It is an unacceptable delay, because the expropriation of the abandoned house should have proceeded in 14 months, but it has not been done," Mayor Vyras complained.
The mayor attributed the delay to bureaucracy, saying "The 12 labors depicted in the mosaic will become 13 because of the bureaucracy of the public service".
He said that residents of the closed area, which used to be a lively neighborhood, are suffering daily hardship, as simple things such as shopping and throwing garbage are difficult tasks now.
Things are being complicated as the planning by the Antiquities Department also involves the excavation of the harbor of ancient Kition, with the aim of turning it into an archaeological site which will also include the mosaics and a museum.
