Paphos

Paphos occupies the southwestern part of Cyprus and constitutes the capital of the homonymous province with about 34000 permanent residents.

For 600 years it has served as the capital of the island and became famous because it was the first city to welcome the new religion of Christianity, as well as the city that helped Alexander the Great in his campaigns. The origins of its name are related to Paphos, the son of Kefalos coming from Anatoli, as well as to Paphos, the daughter of the mythical Pygmalion, and to the father of Adonis-Kinira, who also served as king and high priest at the sanctuary of Aphrodite, and finally he was the one who founded the city of Paphos.

Being a city full of contradictions, over the past few decades the city has managed to showcase its beauties and confirm its timeless values, while its archaeological and cultural value is so great that UNESCO included the entire Paphos in the World Heritage List. Centuries of rotation of conquerors, a trademark fortress in the harbor of the area to triumphantly welcome all visitors, scattered monuments – sometimes hidden, among modern settlements – the entire city of Paphos is filled with impressive monuments, all of which bear witness to a fascinating culture of thousands of years, from the Neolithic age and Byzantium, to the present day.

The city is divided into Ano Paphos (Upper Paphos), also known as “Ktima (Estate)”, which is considered to be the center of the city, and Kato Paphos (Lower Paphos), which is located on the seaside, and constitutes the touristic heart of the area. The harbor of Paphos, of course, is what steals the hearts of the visitors and where the locals love to take a walk at sunset.

Paphos has been inhabited since the 12th century by the King and High Priest Kinyras, Adonis’ father and Aphrodite’s lover, while the ancient capital of the city, Palaipaphos – today’s Kouklia, was one of the greatest worship centers in honor of the goddess of love. Even though the port of Kato Paphos was abandoned during the reign of Nicocles, the last king of Kinirades and the great high priest of the temple of Aphrodite, the city eventually got its glory back in the hands of the Ptolemaeans, who may have reduced the opulence of its ancient kingdoms, but they turned it into a “metropolis” of all the cities of the island. The Romans later adorned it with a theater and a conservatory, two of the reasons that made it a Cultural Capital in 2017. The Ancient Theater of Paphos was used for more than 600 years, while at the Ancient Conservatory of Paphos, whose rock stands proud until this day in front of the lighthouse, are hosted during the summer months many artistic events, such as the International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama of Cyprus. And somewhere in its surroundings, the pirates crossed swords with the inhabitants of the city. During the years of the Byzantium, the port of Paphos, which is now a trademark in the heart of the tourist area of ​​Kato Paphos, and next to it, the homonymous Castle, an imposing building, used as a fortress-watch tower, a prison, and a salt store, and which today dominates the western side of the community. However, the city was later also a major station for the pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land, as evidenced by the existence of the Panagia (Virgin Mary) of Limeniotissa basilica, one of the most important examples of early Christian architecture. After the earthquake of 1222, the city falls into decline. The decline continued in the years of the Ottoman domination. The Turks, leaving Cyprus in 1878, left behind an almost deserted place. The only monuments that survive are some minarets above the Christian churches. Then, the new sovereigns of Cyprus, the English, divide the island into administrative authorities, while with the proclamation of the Republic of Cyprus, in 1960, the city entered a new period of development. In 1974, Paphos was bombed during the Turkish invasion and epic battles took place especially in the Turkish quarter – many of which have left their markings indelibly in the historic core of the city. The two most important tourist areas of Cyprus, Famagusta and Kyrenia are dominated by the Turkish troops, and since then, great importance has been attached to the tourist development of the capital of Paphos, as we know it today.

Before hurrying on your way to the nearest beach, you should not miss the chance to wander around Paphos in order to find its hidden “diamonds” and feel its story. Going up to Ano Paphos, you will encounter Moutalos, the Turkish Cypriot neighborhood with the cobbled streets, named after the mosque Mous Allah of the Ottoman period, which is still imposing with its presence at the entrance to the district, even though it has been abandoned since the beginning of 1990. On the central avenue Griva Digeni, with the neoclassical public buildings standing in line, the Archbishop Makarios III Lyceum, Nicolaidio Gymnasio Paphou, the Propylaea of ​​the Iakovio Gymnasium and the Paphos Town Hall, built in 1959 as a replica of the architecture of the Parthenon, and from there for a relaxed promenade in Kato Paphos. The Paphos Castle, which looks like it is emerging from the Mediterranean sea, is located at the edge of the harbor and is the cultural gate of Cyprus, since all the famous artists that take part in the Aphrodite Festival will eventually perform here. From the waterfront with the palm trees and the lampstands, the visitor will find himself in front of Kato Paphos Archaeological Park, the ultimate destination for the archaeology enthusiasts, which also extends to the harbor of the city, an immense area sown with flowers and monuments from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages – most dating back to the Roman period. There the visitor will get the chance to see, among other things, the masterful mosaics of Paphos, the House of Dionysus, the House of Orpheus, the House of Theseus, and the House of the Century. One of the cultural attractions that Paphos to which the city owes its glory and the large number of visitors that arrive here every year, is the Asklepieion of Pafos, the Fort of the Forty Columns, named after the large number of granite columns that are preserved there, and which may have once been part of the ancient market, and the Tombs of the Kings of the 3rd century BC, an ancient necropolis for the rich, noble and local aristocracy from the Hellenistic to the Roman times, the ultimate archaeological destination, which is also included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In addition, there are the Ottoman Baths of Paphos, where coffee is also served during the summer months, while the Medieval and Ottoman Baths of Kato Paphos showcase the whole Arabic and Turkish tradition of the Turkish baths.

The St. Paul’s Column, the church of Agia Kyriaki Paphou, the catacomb of Agia Solomoni Paphou, the catacomb of Agios Lambrianos, the church of Panagia of Chrysopolitissa, the mosque of Agia Sophia of Paphos, the church of Panagia Theoskepasti of Kato Paphos and the futuristic Chapel of Apostle Peter and Agia Eleni of Paphos are some of the most interesting walking tours related to religious tourism in the area. The visit to the Archaeological Museum of Paphos is a trip to the island’s culture in itself, with findings from important archaeological sites of the area of ​​Paphos, such as the ancient city of Mariou, Geroskipou and Polis Chrysochous.

The Ethnographic Museum of Paphos, located in a two-storied stone building of 1894, of urban architecture with gothic arches, a large courtyard with an olive mill and blossoming gardens, the Municipal Art Gallery of Paphos, with works of art by local artists and the Byzantine Museum of Paphos with an impressive collection the artwork of the Metropolis, and hosting the most ancient mobile hagiography of Cyprus, are some of the places in the city that are not to be missed. Paphos has new creative groups, several students and a nightlife catering to all tastes all year round. In the heart of the city, the experience for the visitors is full of flavor and taste in the covered Paphos Municipal Market (a 1920s building), one of the liveliest cultural attractions of the region that reflects the way of life, culture and eating habits of the entire province of Paphos. It is these beloved habits that make old people nostalgic and young people convinced that Paphos is not the city they thought it was, that it is beyond interesting. An intense history, with its own personality.