Demolition work on the Larnaca building near which the rare ancient mosaics depicting the labours of Hercules were discovered in 2016 will start on Tuesday, Larnaca municipality announced on Monday.

The antiquities department had ordered the municipality of Larnaca to proceed with the demolition of the building at 192, Ayios Neophytou street as it assumed there could be further mosaics underneath.

Larnaca municipality assured that the contractor in charge of the project would apply all necessary safety measures and asked residents to remove their vehicles from the road before the start of the works on Tuesday.

The mosaics date back to the Roman period and depicts scenes from the labours of Hercules.

The antiquities were unearthed while the Larnaca sewerage board was carrying out road works in the area in 2016, but it soon became clear that they could not be excavated further as a building was in the way.

Only when the mosaics are completely revealed, can the department of antiquities decide how to proceed in the matter – whether to move them or leave them in situ on the plot of the uninhabited and abandoned Larnaca house.

Since 2016, when the mosaics were covered with sand, a large part of a road in the city centre has been closed, leading to issues with the nearby residents.

The mosaics are said to be of unique value and marked the first time the mosaics depicting the labours of Hercules were found on the island. The site is believed to belong to a complex of baths that have not yet been unearthed.