Although there is no concrete information about the first settlements of the towns of Laphetos (Lapta) and Karavas (Alsancak), it is said that the town of Lapitos was founded in the 13th century BC by a group of Lacionans under the command of Praxander. For this reason, the name Karavas was not mentioned in this period and this region was known only as Laphetos for a while.

This century is known in history as the early iron age. The influence of the Mycenaean civilization, which started to establish trade colonies on the eastern Mediterranean coast in the middle of 2000 BC, was also seen in Laphetos and its surroundings in the 13th century. 

The Late Mycenaean Period of the Mycenaean Civilization is considered the highest phase of Mycenaean culture. Since the Mycenaean elements in the settlement of Laphetos coincide with this period and Mycenaean pottery was exported to the Mediterranean region during this period, one of the most unique products of the region known as Laphetos pottery may have been shaped by the influences of this century. 

Source: Karavas, Antreas Stylianou

According to the Sicilian writer Diodoros, who lived in the 4th century BC, Lapethos was one of the nine kingdoms of Cyprus during this period. It is written that Peisistratos, then king of Lapethos, went to help Alexander the Great to capture Tyre in Phoenicia. Alexander the Great freed this kingdom from Persian occupation and granted it autonomy because of the support given during the siege.

However, by the 5th century BC, Praxippos, who was considered the last king of Lapethos, was arrested by the Successors and the administration was handed over to a Phoenician family. Thus, Lapethos became a settlement where Phoenicians ruled for a period. 

A fragment of a mosaic floor from the 5th century BC is now preserved and exhibited at the Cyprus Museum. 

Source: Karavas, Antreas Stylianou

Cyprus was under the rule of the Roman Empire during this historical period. Maps of the ancient city-kingdoms show that Lapethos had more than 10,000 inhabitants at this time and formed one of the four largest districts of Cyprus. 

Starting from ancient times until this period, Lapethos was considered the center where copper was processed and most importantly, a pottery center due to the fertility of the soils where it was located. It was a very important trade center due to the abundance of products and its port and docks.

During this period, Lapethos was named "Lambousa", meaning "shining", because of its wealth, beauty, cleanliness and shining lighthouse. 

Source: Karavas, Antreas Stylianou

Lambousa (Lapethos) was badly damaged by an Arab raid before 965 AD and the inhabitants were forced to surrender their gold and silver and flee inland. 

After the Byzantine Empire liberated the island from the Arabs in 965 AD, the inhabitants of Lapethos started to return, but this time they preferred to stay away from the sea and settled at the foot of the Pentadactylos Mountains.

From this period until the Latin raid of 1222, a widespread episcopate is mentioned. In fact, the Acheiropoietos in Lambousa is referred to as a monastery from this date onwards. 

Source: Karavas, Antreas Stylianou

Beginning in 1192 when Guy de Lusignan, King of Jerusalem, bought Cyprus from Richard the Lionheart and ending in 1489 when the Venetians invaded the island, Lapethos had a greater population than Limassol, Famagusta and Paphos on the island of Cyprus during the reign of the Lusignan Dynasty.

It was one of the leading districts as a military navy. Before the 1571 Ottoman Conquest, 3.000 soldiers were stationed in Lapithos under the command of Zanetto Dandolo. 

Source: Karavas, Antreas Stylianou

From 1571 until 1878, the island passed from the Venetians to the Ottoman Empire, and in 1780, a part of Lapethos was separated by itself and formed the district of Karavas (Alsancak). The reasons and circumstances of this separation are not fully known. 

In the 1738 map of Richard Pocoche, a British explorer who visited Cyprus in the early 17th century, Karavas was mentioned as a town on the north coast of Cyprus, next to Lapithos. This map was also published in London in 1745.

The word Karavas means "owner of boats", "builder of boats". There are villages with this name in different countries such as Greece. 

The ruins of the ancient city of Lambousa by the sea were used as quarries and treasure hunting grounds by the natives of the two new small towns. The most important building in the area was the Acheiropoietos Monastery. It takes its name from the holy handkerchief brought to Lambousa by Bishop Eulalios, according to a local folklore. 

Source: Karavas, Antreas Stylianou Karavas-Sanat ve Zanaatkarlar, Eleni Papadimitrou

Cyprus came under British rule as a result of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. During these years, Lapethos also became a municipality shortly afterwards and its first mayor was Andreas Koumides.

In 1902 and 1917, archaeological excavations revealed the Cyprus Collection of silver pots, plates, spoons, and jewelry. The collection is now on display at the British Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Cyprus Museum in Nicosia. 

Source: Wikipedia

After the 1974 war, the Karavas natives, who were forced to migrate with the help of the United Nations, were settled in safe areas in the South; similarly, the Turkish Cypriots who were displaced from the South were settled in safe areas in the North. As a result of this population exchange, Karavas, with its current name Alsancak, took its current form with the Turkish Cypriots coming from the villages in the Paphos region. 

In 1974, Alsancak Municipality was founded.  In this century, Karavas and Lapta were considered the towns with the richest vegetation and natural resources on the island. Since water has been a very important natural resource since ancient times, a wide variety of crops were grown and settlements were shaped accordingly.

Two fountains were actively used in Karavas and Lapta. These fountains were very important for watering trees and crops. 

In total, there were four flour mills in both towns. And these flour mills played an important role in the economic development of this century and created a strong livelihood sector. 

Lapithos, in particular, was a settlement that was remarkable in pottery production since ancient times. By the 20th century, it had become a supplier town for this production. 

Source: Karavas-Sanat ve Zanaatkarlar, Eleni Papadimitrou