Author: Christos

Located in Polis Chrysochous sub-district, this 16th century vaulted church was turned into a mosque during the Ottoman period. A northern annex was added to it and the 16th century frescoes were covered up, but these have now been uncovered and preserved.

Located in Kato Pafos (Paphos), the Panagia Chrysopolitissa Church was built in the 13th century over the ruins of the largest Early Byzantine basilica on the island. Within the compound is St. Paul’s Pillar, where according to tradition, Saint Paul was flogged before the Roman governor Sergius Paulus was converted to Christianity.

The church was originally seven-aisled, but was later reduced to five aisles. The floor of the basilica was covered with colourful mosaics, some of which are still preserved.

The famous ‘Tombs of the Kings’ form part of the Archaeological Park of Kato Pafos (Paphos) – one of the most important archaeological sites of Cyprus that has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list since 1980.

The monumental underground tombs are carved out of solid rock and date back to the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

Rather than kings, it is actually high ranking officials and aristocracy that were buried here, but the size and splendour of the tombs – some decorated with Doric pillars – gave the locality its grand name.

Some of the tombs imitate the houses of the living, with the burial chambers opening onto a peristyle atrium. They are similar to tombs found in Alexandria, demonstrating the close relations between the two cities during the Hellenistic period.

The site links with the Aphrodite Cultural Route.

Tombs of the Kings – Audio Guide 

The Byzantine castle known as Saranta Kolones (Forty Columns) is located just north of Pafos (Paphos) Harbour, and takes its name from the large number of granite columns that were found on the site and probably once formed part of the ancient agora.

The castle is believed to have been built at the end of the 7th century AD to protect the port and the city of Nea Pafos from Arab raids, and was later remodelled by the Lusignans.

A three-metre thick wall with eight towers and a moat surrounded the castle. Access was across a wooden bridge spanning the moat. The square courtyard measured 35 metres long by 35 metres wide, with a tower at each corner. The main entrance was through a fifth, horseshoe-shaped tower on the east side.

Destroyed by an earthquake in 1223, the castle was subsequently abandoned.

The archaeological site of Palaipafos (‘old Pafos’ in Greek) is located in Kouklia Village and was one of the most important city-kingdoms of Cyprus, as well as the first Cypriot site to be included in the World Heritage List of UNESCO in 1980.

The Sanctuary of Aphrodite is the most famous of the Ancient Greek Goddess’ sanctuaries, and its ancient remains date back to the 12th century BC, whilst it remained a place of worship until the 3rd – 4th centuries AD.

There are two versions of how Palaipafos was founded; one story tells that Agapenor, the King of Tegea (Peloponesus), founded the city-kingdom on his way back from the Trojan War. A second legend tells that Kinyras, the local legendary king (12th century) was the founder and first High Priest of The Sanctuary of Aphrodite.

The museum, housed in a Lusignan Manor, exhibits many interesting finds from the area and portrays how the Cult of the Goddess of Fertility developed into the Cult of Aphrodite.

The site is linked to the Aphrodite Cultural Route.

Aphrodite’s mythical birthplace ‘Petra tou Romiou’ is an interesting geological formation of huge rocks along one of the most beautiful coastlines on the island, located on the southwest coast of the Pafos (Paphos) district.

According to the legend, the Ancient Greek Goddess of Love and Beauty – Aphrodite – was born of the sea foam here. Legend tells that she rose from the waves and was escorted on a shell to this particular beach.

The giant rock formations, which are seen at the same location are linked with another – more recent – legend which tells that the Byzantine hero Digenis Akritas heaved them there to keep the Saracens Arabs (7th-10th centuries) at bay. The name of Petra tou Romiou (‘rock of the Greek’ in Greek) comes from the hero.

It is said that in certain weather conditions, the waves rise, break and form a column of water that dissolves into a pillar of foam. With imagination, this momentarily looks like an ephemeral, evanescent human shape. Other popular myths tell that swimming around the rock three times will bring various blessings, including eternal youth and beauty, good luck, fertility and true love.

The site is linked to the Aphrodite Cultural Route.

Petra tou Romiou – Audio Guide 

The abandoned monastery of Panagia tou Sinti is situated on the banks of the Xeros River in Pentalia, and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Panagia) of Sinti.

The church has an octagonal dome with four windows and belongs to the first half of the 16th century. Its central nave is in good condition, and it is considered to be one of the most important buildings of the Venetian period.

The Monastery remained in operation until 1927 and thereafter was abandoned. In 1994, the Monastery of Kykkos undertook the maintenance of the Monastery, completing it in 1997 when it earned the Europa Nostra Award for the use of good restoration techniques and preservation of its original character.  

Located in Empa village, 3km north of Pafos (Paphos), the Church of Panagia Chryseleousa is actually a combination of two churches and is a stone-built structure with three aisles and two domes.

The eastern section was first built as a cruciform church with a dome in the 12th century, possibly on the ruins of an earlier Christian basilica. An extension was made to the west with a domed building of the cross-in-square type later on in the 13th century.

The church retains its rare wall paintings of the 12th, 13th, 15th and 16th centuries, with one of the most interesting depicting the miracle of fishing. Other ecclesiastical treasures include 15th and 16th century portable icons. Among them is a noteworthy icon of Jesus Christ holding a Gospel with his left hand, and a fine icon painted on two panels with six of the Apostles on each panel.

The archaeological site of Palaipafos (‘old Pafos’ in Greek) is located in Kouklia Village and was one of the most important city-kingdoms of Cyprus, as well as the first Cypriot site to be included in the World Heritage List of UNESCO in 1980.

There are two versions of how Palaipafos was founded; one story tells that Agapenor, the King of Tegea (Peloponesus), founded the city-kingdom on his way back from the Trojan War. A second legend tells that Kinyras, the local legendary king (12th century) was the founder and first High Priest of The Sanctuary of Aphrodite, which is one of the most significant monuments at the site and the most famous of the Goddess’ sanctuaries. Its ancient remains date back to the 12th century BC, whilst it remained a place of worship until the 3rd – 4th centuries AD.

The other significant monuments of Palaipafos are: The House of Leda; the northeast gate of the defensive wall; the city wall and the Palace of Hadji Abdulla; the Church of Panagia Katholiki; the Lusignan Manor House; the cemeteries and the Lusignan sugar-cane refinery in the coastal plain.

The museum, housed in a Lusignan Manor, exhibits many interesting finds from the area and portrays how the Cult of the Goddess of Fertility developed into the Cult of Aphrodite, whilst the sugar-cane refinery is also open to visitors.

The site is linked to the Aphrodite Cultural Route.

Kouklia Palaipafos – Audio Guide 

The Pafos (Paphos)  Mosaics are considered among the finest in the eastern Mediterranean and form part of the Archaeological Park of Kato Pafos, which has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list since 1980. They were discovered in 1962, after a farmer ploughing his field accidently unearthed one of them.

The Houses of Dionysos, Theseus, Aion and Orpheus are the villas of four Roman noblemen that date from the 2nd to the 5th centuries AD.Their intricate floor mosaics depict various scenes from Greek Mythology.

The 556 square metre floor mosaics at the House of Dionysos are decorated with mythological, vintage and hunting scenes. There is also a Hellenistic pebble mosaic representing the mythical sea-monster Scylla at the entrance.

The House of Theseus is named after its oldest mosaic of the Ancient Greek hero brandishing a club against the Minotaur. Newer mosaics depict Poseidon and Amphitrite and Achilles´ first bath.

The House of Orpheus has floor mosaics depicting Orpheus among the beasts, two panels representing Hercules and the Lion of Nemea, and an Amazon with her horse.

The House of Aion has the most spectacular mosaic of five figural panels depicting: the newborn Dionysos; Leda and the Swan; the beauty contest between Cassiopeia and the Nereids; Apollon and Marsyas, and the Triumph of Dionysos.

The Park also includes other sites and monuments from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages, such as the Asklepieion, the Odeon, the Agora, the Saranta Kolones (Forty Columns) Castle, and the Limeniotissa ruins of an Early Christian Basilica.

The Pafos Mosaics link with the Aphrodite Cultural Route.