In the first millennium BC City-Kingdoms were established in Cyprus. The Kingdom of Ledra or Ledrae is recorded around 672 BC, when it was ruled by King Onasagoras, appearing ninth in a list of kingdoms that paid tribute to the Assyrian King Esarhaddon.

Until recently archaeological finds in the area have been limited mainly to cemeteries, discovered in the areas of the “Old Town hall", Koupati, Ayioi Omologites and Acropolis. However, excavations at St. George Hill (PASIDI) brought to light a complex of buildings, ceramic and textile workshops and other rooms that prove that an important nucleus existed in this area during the Iron era. A big olive press was also unearthed.

During the first quarter of the 4 th century BC a number of Cypriot soldiers engraved their names at the temple of Ahori in Karnak in Egypt. Some of the inscriptions bear the names of soldiers from Ledra. At the end of the 4 th century the King of Pafos, Nikoklis, had a temple build for the people of Ledra dedicated to the Paphian Aphrodite.

In the Roman period and up until the 4 th century AD the Kingdom of Ledra was nothing more than a small village.