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History and Information on Paphos.

Paphos - The holiday resort among ruins and tombs

Visitors to western Cyprus might wonder why tourism did not arrive in this small town (pop. 38,000) until the 1980s. Banana cultivation Bananas thrive in the mild climate on the artificially irrigated coastal plain, and the lower town, Kato Pafos, lies in the heart of one of Cyprus's most interesting archaeological zones.

There are ancient and medieval ruins within this small area and every excavation yields new discoveries. Among the sights of historic interest, hotels, souvenir shops and bars, there is still enough room for the local people's simple homes, even an occasional piece of uncultivated land.

Despite the controversial renovation of its old customs houses, most of them now tavernas, the harbour quarter remains an important attraction, while away from the seafront promenade, the town's bustling nightlife continues until well into the night. Many hotels occupy a good position overlooking the seafront


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A new friend seafront promenade, the town's bustling nightlife continues until well into the night. Many hotels occupy a good position overlooking the seafront.
The town is divided into two, with the upper town, Ktima, 3km (2 miles) from the sea. Although modernising fast, its simple tavernas and basic shops can still evoke a sense of rural charm. The classical-style complex of school, library and town hall near the municipal park dates from the era of British colonial rule.


One drawback needs to be pointed out: within the urban confines ofPafos and along its stony coastline, there are no natural sandy beaches. Those visitors who wish to stretch out on the sand and sunbathe will have to take a bus or drive some distance. To compensate, however, the surrounding area offers some fine destinations for day trips
History
Despite the name Nea Pafos meaning New Pafos - to avoid confusion with the Shrine of Aphrodite at Palaia Pafos (Old Paphos) - the settlement here dates from ancient times. It is said to have been founded by King Agapenor after the Trojan War. Archaeologists believe that Nikokles, the last priest king of Old Pafos, built New Pafos about 320BC.

With increasing numbers of pilgrims visiting the Shrine of Aphrodite, a larger port was thought to be necessary. Choosing the nearest point to the Egyptian port of Alexandria, the Ptolemaic rulers made New Pafos the island's administrative centre. The Roman governors also used Paphos as their capital and at that time it supported a population of some 30,000 - almost as many as live here today. Decline set in during late antiquity, but the Crusaders and Venetians still considered the town important enough to have a Catholic bishop. Francesco Contarini, the town's last senior cleric, was killed when Nicosia was captured by the Ottomans.

Sights
The Fort (daily 9am-5pm, 7.30 pm in summer), built by the Turks in 1592, overlooks the fishing harbour. Nearby lies a heap of stones left over from earlier fortifications which the Venetians destroyed in 1570 as they had too few soldiers to maintain a permanent guard.

Northwest of the harbour lay the centre of the Roman town.  In 1962 a farmer ploughing his field chanced upon an ancient mosaic. Since then, archaeologists have uncovered further mosaics (daily 7.30am-5pm, 7.30pm in summer) in the vicinity and these now rank among the most significant and finest sights of historic interest in Cyprus.

Even those visitors who do not find ancient ruins particularly appealing ought not to overlook these fascinating scenes from ancient mythology. Some of their tiny coloured blocks of stone were probably made in Alexandria in the 3rd and 4th centuries and shipped to Paphos before being assembled; others are of local origin. They are of such beauty and so well preserved that UNESCO has justifiably acclaimed the mosaics as a World Cultural Heritage site.

The owner of the House of Dionysos must have had a penchant for wine, as the god of wine, Dionysos, occupies a dominant position; hence the name that the archaeologists gave to this atrium villa. Liaisons illustrated on the mosaics include Pyramus and Thisbe, Zeus and Ganymede, Narcissus with his mirror image, and other couples. 

Paphosh archaeologists have been responsible for excavating the  House of Theseus , probably the official residence of the Roman governor. Signs of Christian influence are already evident on the mosaic showing the birth and ablutions of Achilles. The round picture in the middle depicts the heroic Theseus as victor over the slain minotaur, while beneath it a man symbolises the scene of the triumph, the labyrinth, which also appears as a geometric pattern at the margin.

Above, Ariadne is shown helping Theseus to make his way out of the maze by following the woollen thread.
The three mosaics in the House of Orpheus e are stylistically close to those in the Dionysos villa. Here Orpheus charms wild animals with his music and Hercules wrestles with a lion. The mosaics in the House of Aion, laid after 342, show the birth, youth and triumphal procession of Dionysos. In terms of subject matter and the Baroque shapeliness of the naked bodies, they are both in the ancient tradition, but here too similarities with the life of Christ cannot be overlooked.

Archaeologists are still at work in the House of the Four Seasons, but it is hoped that the treasures unearthed here will soon be made accessible to the public.

The fortress of Saranda Kolones  was built by the Byzantines from the remains of ancient buildings. An earthquake in 1222 destroyed the castle shortly after it had been reinforced by the Crusaders.

The Odeon  can still accommodate over 1,000 spectators and it regularly stages open-air concerts and plays. Only half of the 25 rows, built on the slopes of the acroPaphos in the 2nd century, have been restored, but today's audiences have to do without the roof that formerly offered some protection from summer sun and winter rain.

Northeast of the lighthouse, you can stroll along the top of the old city wall. From the City Gate «) a ramp carved out of the rock leads down to the beach.
A huge terebinth tree casts its shadow over the steps to the Catacombs of Saint Solomoni. Solomoni was forced to flee from Palestine in 168 and lived in this Hellenistic burial chamber. A spring in the base of the cave is said to cure eye complaints and anyone who ties a piece of material to the tree at the top is said to have their wish fulfilled as soon as the cloth starts to rot.

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The simple 13th-century cruciform basilica of Agia Kyriaki  or Chrysopolitissa as it also known, stands amid theremainsofthe50x 38m(l60x 125ft) five-naved basilica. This was destroyed soon after the Crusaders arrived as they built a Gothic church nearby. However, the place was important for both Orthodox and Western Christians on account of St Paul's Pillar. According to legend, when Paul came to Cyprus on his first journey, he was arrested by Jews, tied to this pillar and whipped.

The Acts of the Apostles makes no direct reference to this incident, but does recount (13,4-12) that Paul blinded a sorcerer in Paphos, and the proconsul Sergius Paul us, who witnessed the event, was converted to Christianity. North of the pillar lies the Frankish baths, the town's old bath house.
Other graves and underground chambers were carved out beneath Fabrica Hill, and in the Middle Ages they housed a cotton mill. Couples may be interested in Agios Agapetikos, which is a rock chapel for lovers, sited on the hill's eastern flank. The Digenis Rock on the north side of the hill is the subject of a fascinating legend.

The Tombs of the Kings  (daily 7.30am-5pm, June to August until 7pm) are some distance away and best reached by taxi. Buried here in lavish vaults hewn from the rock are not, in fact, kings, but the upper strata of Ptolemaic and Roman society. With Doric pillars surrounding an inner courtyard, some of these chambers replicate the villas of the living. Amid these monuments lie more modest catacombs and gravestones. When Christians were being persecuted, in antiquity and again during the Middle Ages, they sheltered in the cemetery.

Professor Georgios Elliades and his wife spent their life collecting objets d'art and other everyday items belonging to farmers. These treasures are now accessible to the public in the Ethnographic Museum G (Monday to Friday 9am-l pm and 2-5pm, May to September 3-7pm, Saturday 9am-l pm, Sunday 10am-l pm), which forms a part of their home. A house chapel constructed in an ancient rock tomb is also worth investigating.