Paphos

PaphosPaphos (Greek: Πάφος Páfos; Turkish: Baf; Armenian: Պաֆոս), also known as Pafos, is a coastal city in

the southwest of Cyprus and the capital ofPaphos District. In antiquity, two locations were called Paphos:

Old Paphos[2] and New Paphos.[3] The currently inhabited city is New Paphos. It lies on

the Mediterranean coast, about 50 km (31.07 mi) west of the Limassol (the biggest port in island), which

has an A6 highway connection. Paphos International Airport is the country's second largest airport.

Near Palaepaphos (Old Paphos) at the seaside of Petra tou Romiou is the mythical birthplace of Aphrodite,

the Greek goddess of love and beauty and the founding myth is interwoven with the goddess at every level,

so that Old Paphos became the most famous and important place for worshipping Aphrodite in the ancient

world. In Greco-Roman times Paphos was the island's capital, and it is famous for the remains of

the Roman governor's palace, where extensive, fine mosaics are a major tourist attraction. The apostle Paul

of Tarsus visited the town during the 1st century AD. The town of Paphos is included in the

official UNESCO list of cultural and natural treasures of the world's heritage.

Paphos enjoys a Subtropical-Mediterranean climate, with the mildest temperatures on the island. The

typical summer's season lasts about 8 months, from April to November, although in March and December

temperatures may also reach 20 °C (68.0 °F).

Paphos has been selected as the European Capital of Culture for 2017 along with Aarhus.

Founding myth

In the founding myth, even the town's name is linked to the goddess, as the eponymous Paphos was the

son (or, in Ovid, daughter) of Pygmalion [4] whose ivory cult image of Aphrodite was brought to life by the

goddess as "milk-white" Galatea.

The author of Bibliotheke, the Hellenistic encyclopedia of myth long attributed to Apollodorus, gives the

genealogy.[5] Pygmalion was so devoted to the cult of Aphrodite that he removed the statue to his palace

and kept it on his couch. The daimon of the goddess entered into the statue, and the living Galatea bore

Pygmalion a son, Paphos, and a daughter, Metharme. Cinyras, perhaps the son of Paphus,[6] but perhaps

the successful suitor of Metharme, founded the city under the patronage of Aphrodite and built the great

temple to the goddess there. According to another legend preserved by Strabo (xi. p. 505), whose text,

however, varies, it was founded by the Amazons.

History

Archaeologists report that the site of Paphos has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. It was a centre

of the cult of Aphrodite and of pre-Hellenic fertility deities. Aphrodite's mythical birthplace was on this island,

where her temple was erected by the Myceneans in the 12th century BC.

The Greek names of two archaic kings, Etevandros and Akestor are attested in Cypriot syllabary on objects

of 7th century BC found in Kourion.[7]

The remains of villas, palaces, theatres, fortresses and tombs of the Classical, Hellenistic and Roman

periods mean that the site is of exceptional architectural and historic value. The mosaics of Nea Paphos are

among the most beautiful in the world. The port of Paphos was rebuilt by Nicocles, the last king of Paphos,

at the time of Alexander III of Macedon. It became the capital of the island replacing Salamisduring

the Hellenistic era, under the successors of Alexander III of Macedon – the Ptolemies who favoured a

location closer to their capital, Alexandria. The theatre dating to the end of the 4th century BC has been

under excavation by the University of Sydney since 1995: it was partly excavated from its hillside setting

and partly built up with earth embankments.

Old Paphos

Old Paphos, now the site of Kouklia (Greek: Κούκλια; Turkish: Kukla or Konuklia; French: Covocle)

(Engel, Kypros, vol. i. p. 125) was seated on an eminence,[8] at the distance of about ten stadia from the

sea, to which, however, it had a roadstead. It was not far from the Zephyrium promontory (Strabo xiv.

p. 683) and the mouth of the little River Bocarus.[9]

Aphrodite at Paphos

The Greeks agreed that Aphrodite had landed at the site of Paphos when she rose from the sea.

[10] According to Pausanias (i. 14), her worship was introduced to Paphos from Syria; but much more

probably it was of Phoenician origin. Before it was proved by archaeology it was understood that the cult of

Aphrodite had been established before the time of Homer (c. 700 BC), as the grove and altar of Aphrodite

at Paphos are mentioned in the Odyssey (viii. 362). Archaeology has established that Cypriots venerated a

fertility goddess before the arrival of the Greeks, in a cult that combined Aegean and eastern mainland

aspects. Female figurines and charms found in the immediate vicinity date as far back as the early third

millennium. The temenos was well established before the first structures were erected in the Late Bronze

Age: "There was unbroken continuity of cult from that time until 391 AD when the Roman Emperor

Theodosius I outlawed all pagan religions and the sanctuary fell into the ruins in which we find it today."[11]

Here the worship of the goddess was centred, not for Cyprus alone, but for the whole Aegean world.

The Cinyradae, or descendants of Cinyras were the chief priests, Greek by name but of Phoenician origin.

Their power and authority were very great; but it may be inferred from certain inscriptions that they were

controlled by a senate and an assembly of the people. There was also an oracle here.[12] Few cities have

ever been so much sung and glorified by the poets.[13] The remains of the vast temple of Aphrodite are still

discernible, its circumference marked by huge foundation walls. After its destruction by an earthquake it

was rebuilt by Vespasian, on whose coins it is represented, as well as on earlier and later ones, and

especially in the style on those of Septimius Severus.[14] From these representations, and from the existing

remains, Gustav Friedrich Hetsch, an architect of Copenhagen, has attempted to restore the building.[15][16]

According to the biblical Acts of the Apostles, after landing at Salamis and proclaiming the Word of God in

the synagogues,[17] the prophets and teachers, Barnabas and Saul of Tarsus, traveled along the entire

southern coast of the island of Cyprus until they reached Paphos.[18] There, Sergius Paulus, the Roman

proconsul, was converted after Saul rebuked the Sorcerer Elymas.[19] It was in Paphos that Acts first

identifies Saul as Paul.[20]

New Paphos

New Paphos (Nea Paphos), the currently inhabited town, was founded on the sea, near the western end of

the island, and possessed a good harbour. It lay about sixty stadia, or ca. twelve km northwest of the old

city.[21] It too had a founding myth: it was said to have been founded by Agapenor, chief of the Arcadians at

the siege of Troy,[22] who, after the capture of that town, was driven by the storm that separated the Greek

fleet, onto the coast of Cyprus. (Pausanias viii. 5. § 2.) An Agapenor was mentioned as king of the

Paphians in a Greek distich preserved in the Analecta;[23] and Herodotus (vii. 90) alludes to an Arcadian

"colony" in Cyprus. Like its ancient namesake, Nea Paphos was also distinguished for the worship of

Aphrodite and contained several magnificent temples dedicated to her. Yet the old city seems to have

always retained the preeminence in this respect, and Strabo tells that the road leading to it from Nea

Paphos was annually crowded with male and female votaries resorting to the more ancient shrine, and

coming not only from the latter place itself, but also from the other towns of Cyprus. When Senecasays (N.

Q. vi. 26, Epistle 91) that Paphos was nearly destroyed by an earthquake, it is difficult to say to which of the

towns he refers. Dio Cassius (liv. 23) relates that it was restored by Augustus, and called "Augusta" in his

honour; but though this name has been preserved in inscriptions, it never supplanted the ancient one in

popular use.

Paphos is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (xiii. 6) as having been visited by Paul of Tarsus, when it

appears to have been the residence of the Roman governor; it is said that Paul converted the

governor, Sergius Paulus, to Christianity. Tacitus (Hist. ii. 2, 3) records a visit of the youthful Titus to

Paphos before he acceded to the empire, who inquired with much curiosity into its history and antiquities.

(Cf. Suetonius Titus c. 5.) Under this name the historian doubtless included the ancient as well as the more

modern city: and among other traits of the worship of the temple he records, with something like surprise,

that the only image of the goddess was a pyramidal stone – a relic, doubtless of Phoenician origin. There

are still considerable ruins of New Paphos a mile or two from the sea; among which are particularly

remarkable the remains of three temples which had been erected on artificial eminences.[24]

Post-Classical history

Paphos, however, was gradually losing much of its attraction as an administrative centre, especially after

the founding of Nicosia. The city and its port continued to decline throughout the Middle Ages andOttoman

Rule, as Nicosia, and the port city of Larnaca was gaining in importance.

The city and district continued to lose population throughout the British colonial period and many of its

inhabitants moved to Limassol, Nicosia and overseas. The city and district of Paphos remained the most

underdeveloped part of the island until 1974.

Modern Paphos

After 1974, there was rapid economic activity in all fields, especially tourism in the Kato Paphos area. The

government invested heavily in irrigation dams and water distribution works, road infrastructure and the

building of Paphos International Airport, the second international airport in Cyprus.

In the 1980s, Kato Paphos received most of the investment. In the 1990s, Coral Bay Resort was further

developed and in the 2000s the Aphrodite Hills resort was developed.

Today Paphos, with a population of about 32,754 (as of 2011), is a popular and fast developing tourist

resort, home to an attractive fishing harbour. Ktima is the main residential district while Kato Pafos, by the

sea, is built around the medieval port and contains most of the luxury hotels and the entertainment

infrastructure of the city. Apostolou Pavlou Avenue (St. Paul's Avenue), the busiest road in Paphos,

connects the two quarters of the city. It begins near the city centre at Kennedy Square and ends outside the

medieval fort at the harbour.

Landmarks

By the harbour stands Paphos Castle, originally a Byzantine fort built to protect the harbour. It was rebuilt

by theLusignans in the 13th century, dismantled in 1570 by the Venetians who were unable to defend it

against the Ottomans, who in their turn restored and strengthened it after capturing the island. Saranta

Kolones, Kato Paphos, near the harbour, is a castle built in the first years of Lusignan rule (beginning of the

12th century) maybe on the site of a previous Byzantine castle. It was destroyed in the earthquake of 1222.

The legacy of the town's remarkable history adds up to nothing less than an open museum, so much so

that UNESCOadded the entire town to its World Cultural Heritage List. Among the treasures unearthed are

the remarkable mosaics in the Houses of Dionysos, Theseus and Aion, beautifully preserved after 16

centuries under the soil. Then there are the mysterious vaults and caves, the Tombs of the Kings, the pillar

to which Saint Paul was allegedly tied and whipped and the ancient Odeon Theatre. Other places of interest

include the Byzantine Museum and the District Archaeological Museum, with its attractive collection of

Cypriot antiquities from the Paphos area, dating from the Neolithic Age up to 1700 AD. Near the Odeon are

the remains of the ancient city walls, the Roman Agora and a building dedicated toAsclepius, god of

medicine.

The mosaic floors of these elite villas dating from the 3rd to the 5th century are among the finest in

the Eastern Mediterranean. They mainly depict scenes from Greek mythology.

The city contains many catacomb sites dating back to the early Christian period. The most famous is Saint

Solomoni Church, originally a Christian catacomb retaining some of its 12th century frescoes. A sacred tree

at the entrance is believed to cure the ailments of those who hang a personal offering on its branches.

A few miles outside the city, the rock of Aphrodite (Petra tou Romiou, "Stone of the Greek") emerges from

the sea. According to legend, Aphrodite rose from the waves in this strikingly beautiful spot. The Greek

name, Petra tou Romiou is associated with the legendary frontier-guard of Byzantine times, Digenis Acritas,

who kept the marauding Saracens at bay. It is said that to repel one attack he heaved a large rock (Petra),

at his enemy.

The site has recently seen the development of Aphrodite Hills, a multi-award winning resort. It features a

five-star deluxe InterContinental Resort Hotel, an 18-hole standard championship golf course, competition

tennis courts, fitness facilities, holiday villas, apartments, townhouses and the Retreat Spa. Aphrodite Hills

recently appeared in the highly prestigious Forbesmagazine 'top five resorts' list where it was voted the

world's most desirable new resort.[25]

Near Petra tou Romiou is Palaepaphos, Old Paphos, one of the most celebrated places of pilgrimage in the

ancient Greek world, and once an ancient city kingdom of Cyprus. Here are the ruins of the famous Temple

of Aphrodite, the most ancient remains, go back to the 12th century BC. The temple was one of the most

important places of cult and pilgrimage of the ancient world, until the 3rd–4th centuries AD. The museum,

housed in the Lusignan Manor, is small but impressive with many finds from the area.

Yeroskipou with its remarkable five-domed Byzantine church of Ayia Paraskevi and its Folk Art Museum is a

town in Paphos metropolitan area known for many years for its special delight 'loukoumi'.

North-east of Paphos lies Ayios Neophytos (St. Neophytos) Monastery, famous for its `Encleistra'

(Enclosure) carved out of the mountain by the hermit himself, which boasts some of the finest Byzantine

frescoes of the 12th and 15th centuries. Nearby too is the painted village church of Emba (Empa).

Four kilometres north of Paphos is the village of Lemba (Lempa), home to numerous artists, many of whom

have open studio shops, the sculpture known as the Great Wall of Lempa by the Cypriot artistStass

Paraskos and the Cyprus College of Art.

Just off the coast of Paphos is the wreck of M/V Demetrios II which ran aground on 23 March 1998 in heavy

seas, during a voyage from Greece to Syria with a cargo of timber.

Arts

Paphos is well known for its cultural and historical interest, including the Tomb of the Kings, Mosaics, Castle

and numerous Churches, however it is also popular for its festivals and annual events.

During September, Paphos holds an annual Opera in the open air at the harbour. The Castle provides an

unusual backdrop and stage for the performance. En Plo also plays an important role, providing the facilities

for this event. At other times of the year, En Plo will play host to numerous art exhibition and craft fairs.

Another annual event is Open Studios Cyprus. Taking place during selected weekends in October; selected

artists open their studio doors to the general public, providing an informal environment to view and discuss

the work with the artist. This event is endorsed by the Cyprus Department of Education & Culture, Cultural

Services, the Cyprus Tourist Organization and UNWTO

In addition to Open Studios Cyprus, there are a number of privately owned galleries and exhibition spaces.

Details and dates for the regular events can always be found in the local English newspapers, such

as Cyprus Weekly and Cyprus Monthly. Maintained by the Paphos Municipality, is the popular exhibition

and conference space, Palia Ilektriki. In the centre of the town, this converted electricity building plays host

to both conferences and exhibitions throughout the year. In 2009, 2010 and 2011 Open Studios Cyprus,

used this location to launch the event with an Opening Art Exhibition. Visitors were able to meet some of the

participating artists, view an example of their work whilst enjoying a glass of the local wine.

Popular for its local wines, Paphos has a number of wineries, including SODAP and Sterna Winery. Visitors

are always welcome at these venues to sample the local wines they have on offer.

External links

Municipality of Paphos – official website

Official Cyprus Government Web Site – Towns and Population

Visit Paphos  – Paphos regional board of tourism

PAFOS: A STROLL THROUGH PLACE AND TIME

By Andreas C. Phylactou

Pafos is a place full of light. This sunny coastal town on the western side of the island is the most

westerly part in Cyprus. The mild climate, the luminous atmosphere, the variety of landscape, the

monuments of civilisation and art, which are scattered all over the land, are the most important

characteristics of the area. Light, sun, sea: three very ancient words still used today by the same

people in the same place, describe the area of Pafos. It is washed by the sea to the west, the south

and the north. In the past these seas were called the Kilikian (to the north), the Egyptian (to the south)

and the Pamfylian (to the west).

The natural environment creates a climate that is unique in the whole of Cyprus. The winter, of short

duration, is mild, while the summer, the longest of the four seasons, is cool. The cold north winds halt

at the low mountains in the centre of the region. They cannot reach the coastal plains of Pafos. In the

town of Pafos, the hill of Mousallas was, according to the geologists, only a few metres from the sea.

The waves came up to the foot of the hill.

Pafos was a cradle of religions. Here the eastern goddess Astarte was worshipped, Hellenised as the

goddess of love and fertility and took the name of Aphrodite, a name which was so closely linked to

the place of worship that she was called the Paphian. Paphian Aphrodite occurs in many ancient

Greek and Latin literary texts. It was also here in Pafos that the new religion of Christianity, which also

came from the east, was “officially” received. The first Christian official in the whole of the Roman

Empire was the Governor of Pafos, which in those days was the capital of Cyprus.

Ancient Pafos, or PalaiPafos, now known as Kouklia, was situated at the mouth of the Diarhizos river,

the only river which still flows in the summer, and was the religious centre which attracted not only the

Cypriots but also the inhabitants of neighbouring countries. Homer refers to the temple of Aphrodite at

Pafos in Odyssey VIII, 362-366. All these worshippers came to “the navel of the world”, as they called

Pafos. This was the second “navel of the world”. The first was at Delphi. Isychios, who describes

Pafos thus and, moreover, places it before Delphi, may have meant that Pafos drew all the Greeks

there because of the very large temple of Aphrodite or because there was a cone-shaped stone

resembling a navel in the centre of the temple. The worship of the goddess Aphrodite, which

originated in Pafos, spread in time all over Cyprus. There were also important temples to Aphrodite at

Idalion, Soli, Golgi, Amathus, Kition and Salamis.

Various interpretations of the name Pafos were given in antiquity. We have already mentioned Homer

who, apart from the reference to Pafos by name, tells us also about Aphrodite’s temple. Other ancient

writers state that the town took its name from Pafos, the father of Kinyras, who was the son of Kefalos

and came from the east. Others allege that the name came from Pafos, a woman this time, who was

the daughter of the mythical Pygmalion.

Pafos was founded in the 12th century BC and there are many traditions about who the founder was.

One version alleges that Kinyras, King and High Priest of the temple and the father of Adonis, the

beloved of Aphrodite, founded Pafos. The Roman author Tacitus supports this view. Homer makes

reference to Kinyras in the Iliad, saying that the King – High Priest sent a breastplate as a gift to

Agamemnon, leader of the Greek expedition against Troy (Iliad XI, 19-23). Another tradition, which

Pausanias refers to, tells of the Arcadian King of Tegea, Agapenor, the son of King Ankaeus who had

gone with Jason and the Argonauts. After the Trojan War, Agapenor was driven by the winds to the

western shores of Cyprus, where he founded the kingdom of Pafos. There are similar traditions about

the founding of other towns in Cyprus during the same period after the end of the Trojan War. In the

archaic and classical periods Pafos was one of the seven or eleven kingdoms of Cyprus. The Kings of

Pafos came from the Kinyras family who, as mentioned previously, were at the same time the High

Priests of Aphrodite. In the inscriptions found in this area the King of Pafos is called “King of Pafos and

Priest of Anassa”.

Pafos, with the other kingdoms of Cyprus, had supported the revolt of the Ionians against the

Persians. As was to be expected, the Persians invaded the island and, after winning a victory on the

plain of Salamis, easily took all the kingdoms of Cyprus. In 498 BC PalaiPafos was captured by the

Persians. During Persian rule it appears that the Cypriot kingdoms, including Pafos, retained some

form of autonomy, to judge from the right they had to keep their own coins, as happened in the case of

the kingdom of Salamis. After the defeat of the Persians at Plataea, Pausanias liberated some Cypriot

towns in 478 BC. Later, in 449 BC, Kimon liberated Marion and other towns in Cyprus from their pro-

Persian rulers. The Persians became masters of Cyprus again after the Peace of Callias in 448 BC

and ruled the island by using the Phoenician element against the Greek. Later, Pafos and the other

towns united and became one kingdom under Evagoras.

Pafos was one of the towns that helped Alexander the Great to capture Tyre. The victorious

commander left the towns of Cyprus free and used their mints, particularly that of Pafos. The

excavations at the villa of Dionysus in New Pafos, now Kato Pafos, brought many coins to light,

indicating along with other finds that a mint of some importance was there. The Pafos mint continued

to be the most important one in Cyprus throughout the Ptolemaic period. Archaeological excavations

in the area of PalaiPafos have shown that in the 4th century BC the area was very prosperous. From

the various objects found it also appears that at this time there were important commercial

transactions between Pafos and Athens. Attic pottery is particularly abundant. The influence of Attic art

is also especially evident on the various Paphian archaeological objects.

The Ptolemies, who conquered Egypt at the beginning of the 4th century BC, took Cyprus at about the

same time. The King of Pafos was Nikokles, the son of King Timarchos, the last king of the Kinyras

family and great High Priest of Aphrodite.

The accession of Nikokles brought a significant development for the seat of the kingdom of Pafos.

Nikokles abandoned PalaiPafos and founded New Pafos (Kato Pafos today), without of course the old

town losing its importance as the centre of the worship of the goddess of love. The founding of New

Pafos in about 320 BC was considered necessary chiefly because the old town did not have a suitable

harbour. The harbour of the new town could serve the trade which had developed significantly during

the 4th century.

A new era began for the town of Pafos, which grew into an important cultural, financial and

administrative centre. The decision of Nikokles to move the seat of the kingdom of Pafos westwards

because it needed a harbour proved to be correct. The town saw a great expansion of its trade and

became the largest commercial centre not only in the south west of the island but in the whole of

Cyprus. For about 400 years Pafos was the capital of Cyprus, supplanting, chiefly from the 2nd

century BC, Salamis which was on the east coast of the island. Nikokles had also fortified the town

and the course of this wall can be seen today in its ruins. The town could be entered through one of

the four gates in the wall.

With the death of Nikokles the most important dynasty of the Kings-High Priests of Cyprus also came

to an end. The Kinyras family vanished from the history of Pafos and with them the tradition of King-

High Priest also came to an end. The life cycle of the Kingdom of Pafos, which had lasted about 1000

years, was also completed.

With the conquest of Cyprus by the Ptolemies a new period began for the whole of the island. The

kingdoms were abolished, including that of Pafos, Cyprus was incorporated as a unified administrative

area into the Ptolemaic kingdom and Pafos was designated as the capital of the island, as the

“metropolis” of all the towns of Cyprus. The reasons why Pafos was chosen as the capital of Cyprus

were, primarily, financial and strategic: the temple of Aphrodite continued to attract worshippers from

all parts of the then known world and the state collected money. Pafos was very near to Alexandria,

the capital of the Ptolemaic state and communication was easier than with any other town in Cyprus, it

was far from neighbouring countries from where attacks could be made and it also had abundant

forests for the building of warships.

Pafos had a noteworthy cultural life during the Ptolemaic period. The theatre flourished and the only

Cypriot playwright of antiquity of whom mention is made was Sopatros, who lived in the 3rd century

BC and came from Pafos. Remains of the theatre are preserved in the north east part on the town, on

the side of the hill called Fabrika.

New Pafos remained the capital of Cyprus during the period of Roman rule. Life in the town did not

change much because Rome did not wish to change the method of administration or the habits of the

people. The Romans felt proud to be near the temple of Aphrodite because, according to their

mythology, the Julian family was descended from Aphrodite. The Roman pro-consul, the governor of

Cyprus, had his seat in Pafos. One of the most famous pro-consuls of Rome, who stayed for a while in

Pafos, was Cicero, the great orator of antiquity, who in one of his works praised the good character of

the Paphians. 

A great disaster befell Pafos fifteen years before the birth of Christ. A strong earthquake reduced the

town to ruins. The new town, built in the place of the old, was called Augusta, perhaps after the

emperor of Rome, Augustus Caesar. Augusta grew rapidly and its population reached 30,000.

Inscriptions from this period refer to Pafos as “the holy metropolis of the towns in Cyprus”.

At the beginning of the 1st century AD a very important event occurred in Pafos, which continued to be

the capital of Cyprus. The Apostle Paul visited the town. He preached first in the synagogues and at

other gatherings of Jews. The Roman pro-consul of Pafos was Sergius Paulus, an educated man and

an authority on natural science. Sergius Paulus summoned the Apostle of the Gentiles so that he

could hear what he had to say. Among those listening was the sorcerer Elymas, who reacted strongly

to Paul’s teaching. Then the Apostle was forced to strike him blind. The pro-consul Sergius Paulus

needed no other proof to be convinced and become a Christian.

Cyprus seems to have become a Christian island after the 4th century, although quite a number of

ancient Greek rites survived even after that period. Following Paul’s visit, a bishopric was established

in Pafos, which today still takes precedence among the bishoprics of the island. Pafos, with the whole

of Cyprus, was incorporated in the Byzantine Empire, where it remained for about eight centuries.

The transfer of the capital in the 4th century weakened Pafos not only financially and politically but

also with regard to the church. The earthquakes which hit Pafos during the 4th century brought not

only destruction and depopulation but also its downgrading as the capital of Cyprus.  While in the early

years of the Byzantine Empire, after its reorganisation by Constantine, the governor resided in Pafos,

in the middle of the 4th century Salamis, renamed Konstantia, was rebuilt by the Emperor Constantine

II and became the administrative and ecclesiastical capital of Cyprus. Salamis was probably preferred

for strategic reasons. As a result of the earthquakes which the Pafos area suffered, the buildings in the

market place, the Odeon, Asklepeion and the House of Dionysos were destroyed. These earthquakes,

in combination with the order issued by the Emperor Theodosis for the closure of all the ancient

sanctuaries, seem to have given the final blow to the worship of Aphrodite at PalaiPafos. After

functioning for many centuries, one of the ancient world’s most important centres of worship ceased to

exist and with it Pafos ceased to be the “navel of the earth” and to attract worshippers from all the

countries of the Mediterranean.

The harbour of Pafos began to acquire some importance again in the 5th and 6th centuries because of

the export of silk. The silk industry, which developed in Pafos mainly because of the favourable

climatic conditions and which flourished from the time of the Byzantine Empire till the end of British

rule, helped to increase the low income of the inhabitants of the area.

The Arab raids, however, which began in the 7th century and continued till the 10th, brought much

destruction to the town of Pafos. The Byzantine fort of Kato Pafos shows the huge effort the

inhabitants made to repel the ruthless invaders who left nothing in their wake. A result of these

incursions was the move to a new town, Ktima, the present-day town of Pafos, about which we will

speak later. The man who saved the inhabitants of Pafos and the other coastal towns from the Arab

raids in the 10th century was the general and Emperor Nikiforos Fokas. In the course of his campaign

in Cilicia and northern Syria, the Byzantine Emperor took Cyprus decisively and made it a province of

the Byzantine Empire. It is worth noting that during the three centuries in which the Saracen raids

occurred, Pafos was invaded more than twenty times.

In the Byzantine period, and especially in the 10th century, the harbour of Pafos became an important

port of call for pilgrims going to the Holy Land. A large church dedicated to Panayia Limeniotissa

(Virgin of the Harbour) was the shrine for all those pilgrims going to Jerusalem. Many of these pilgrims

were kings or important figures in the west. Erik I of Denmark breathed his last in Pafos, unable to

endure the hardships of the long and difficult journey. A guest of the Emperor of Byzantium, Alexis, he

was on his way from Constantinople to the Holy Land. He died in Pafos in 1103 and was buried in the

cathedral there. Welfo, Duke of Bavaria and Amadeo, Count of Saxony are also recorded as having

died in Pafos.

A major saint of Orthodoxy who lived in Pafos in the 11th century was Neophytos Enkleistos.  His

monastery is situated just a few kilometres north of the present-day town of Pafos.

At the beginning of the Frankish occupation of the island, which lasted for four centuries, Pafos was

one of the four original provinces of the kingdom. The harbour of Pafos, though it could not be

compared in importance with that of Famagusta, was the most important one on the western coast of

Cyprus. It was one of the harbours of Cyprus included in the commercial privileges granted by the

Lusignans to the Genoese in 1232. Among the buildings left by the Lusignans in Pafos was the Fort of

Forty Columns which dominated the harbour. This fort was destroyed completely in the earthquake of

1222.

During the coronation of Peter II in 1372 in Famagusta there was a clash between the Venetians and

the Genoese. During the war that ensued between the foreign rulers of Cyprus, Pafos paid its own

price in men and destruction. The Genoese captured the forts at Pafos harbour. Despite all the attacks

made by the Cypriot forces, who also used “Greek fire”, the Pafos forts held out. By the terms of peace

agreed in 1374, however, the Genoese gave up all the fortifications except for the harbour of

Famagusta. A few years later, in 1391, King James repaired the fortifications of Pafos. Important

monuments of Frankish rule in Pafos are the Frankish baths, the Frankish cathedral and the

Franciscan church.

When Queen Charlotte of Cyprus fought her brother James the Bastard over the throne of the island,

Pafos found itself sometimes under the control of one and sometimes of the other. On the victory of

James, Pafos, like the rest of Cyprus, became subject to the Venetians because James had used

Venetian and Mameluke troops against his sister.  This was the end of the Lusignans in Cyprus.

James II married Caterina Cornaro, the daughter of a noble family of Venice. After the death of James,

which occurred a few months after the marriage and was due to poisoning, Venice officially became

the ruling power in Cyprus. The forts of Pafos, with those of Kyrenia and Limassol, were captured by

the fleet of the Most Serene Republic.

Pafos fell into decline after the earthquake of 1222. This decline continued during the years of Turkish

rule as well. We should, however, note that during the Venetian occupation Pafos remained the

financial and commercial centre of south west Cyprus and its harbour continued to play an important

role in the military life of the region. The goods exported from Pafos harbour during this period were

mainly silk, cotton and sugar.

In the 15th century the Mamelukes invaded Pafos and laid waste Kouklia (PalaiPafos). This area was

planted with sugar cane and had a factory for the production and processing of sugar. The first

evidence of the existence of the present-day town of Pafos, which is also called Ktima, appears in

Frankish authors, although it is certain that this area had been inhabited since very ancient times. The

excavations carried out in the area of the new capital of the Pafos district brought to light objects which

go back to the Neolithic period and to the Mycenean civilisation. It is likely that in the distant past

Ktima was a huge necropolis. In any case, up to the Turkish conquest, the town of Pafos was a suburb

of New Pafos. The name of the new town would have come from “vasiliko ktima” (royal estate), as it

was called during Frankish rule, because it had been granted by the first Frankish king of Cyprus, Guy

de Lusignan, to Aimery, former Conestable of Jerusalem. When the adjective “vasiliko” was dropped,

the noun “ktima” remained. In the years of Frankish rule there were many orchards and quite a lot of

water, a fact which made courtiers retreat there for the summer or for permanent residence. The first

reference to the town of Pafos was made by Piero Tafour, a Spanish nobleman who visited Pafos in

1436.

With the rest of Cyprus Pafos fell into the hands of the Turks and became the centre of one of the five

administrative regions of the island. Four kadiliks (administrative areas) came under Pafos: Pafos,

Kouklia, Chrysochous and Avdemou. A pasha was in charge of military affairs and later, in the middle

of the 17th century, a bey. The whole of Cyprus was under the administration of the Grand Vezir, who

appointed the governor general of the island, the Pasha, who had his seat in Nicosia. The Kadi, the

district judge, had his seat in Pafos.

During Turkish rule Kato Pafos was abandoned and the present-day town of Pafos became the capital

of the district. All the authorities came to Pafos and the town began to grow. One of the two

subordinate governors of Cyprus had his seat in Pafos. The other lived in Famagusta. In the middle of

the 18th century Ktima included 45 villages in which a total of 691 tax-paying Christian families lived.

From the beginning of the 19th century Pafos was one of the six administrative districts of Cyprus and

this continued under British rule. The Turks converted a number of Christian churches into mosques.

On July 9th 1821 Pafos, like the other towns and villages of Cyprus, paid a heavy toll to the Turks who

had begun to suspect that a revolt would break out in Cyprus as had happened in Greece. For this

reason they arrested the leaders of the Cypriots in Nicosia, some of whom they beheaded and some

they hanged. Among the senior clergy who were beheaded by the savage Turkish governor of Cyprus,

Kuchuk, was Chrysanthos, the Bishop of Pafos. As well as the Bishop, Christoudias and

Hadjizacharias, clerks of the elders of the town of Ktima, were beheaded in Seraglio Square. There is

a column with the names of those executed by the Turks outside the cathedral of Ayios Theodoros in

Pafos. Panaretos, who later became Archbishop of Cyprus, succeeded Bishop Chrysanthos at this

difficult time for the church and all the Greeks in Cyprus. During this period of Turkish rule and also

later, the church leaders of the Cypriots were also their political leaders. The Turks always consulted

with them over the administration of the island and held them responsible for whatever happened in

Cyprus.

When they moved out of Cyprus in 1878, the Turks left behind them a poor and down-trodden people

and a country that was almost a desert. The only monuments they left in Pafos were some minarets

on Christian churches.    

The new rulers of Cyprus, the British, divided the island into six districts and sub-districts.  Pafos, one

of the six districts, was divided into the sub-districts of Ktima, Kelokedara and Chrysochous. A

rudimentary form of self-administration was allowed to function. A mayor was elected in the town of

Pafos. The first mayor elected was a Turk but from 1880 onwards the mayors of the town were Greek,

with the exception of the period 1895-1907 when the chairman of the municipal council was English.

Pafos took part in every Greek struggle. From the revolution of 1821 to the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913,

the town declared its readiness with men from the town of Pafos or from the villages in the district to

fight for the freedom of Greece, which they considered their motherland. The same happened in 1940,

with the war in Albania and later in the Middle East.

In 1922, after the Asia Minor disaster, a number of refugees came to Pafos. The people of Pafos

embraced with affection their fellow men who had been uprooted from their homes. In 1925 Cyprus

was declared a Colony of the British Crown. In 1931 there was an uprising in Cyprus against British

rule. The slogan was “Enosis” and Government House in Nicosia was set on fire. The events resulted

in bloodshed. In Pafos there were rallies addressed by various speakers who stressed the need to

drive out the British rulers. Some of the results of the 1931 uprising were the imprisonment or exile of

the instigators, the intolerable suppression of the people, the imposition of restrictions on the operation

of Greek schools of secondary education and on the free practice of the medical profession and the

decision of the colonial government that law could only be studied in England. When the Archbishop of

Cyprus died in 1922, the Bishop of Pafos, Leontios, who later became Archbishop, was appointed

locum tenens in accordance with the statutes of the Church of Cyprus. Yet again the desire for

freedom was demonstrated in Pafos at the celebrations in honour of the coronation of Queen

Elizabeth II in June 1953. The people, with the pupils of the Greek Gymnasium of Pafos taking the

lead, poured out into the streets to show their strong opposition to British rule. The celebrations, which

were to have been held with great splendour at the Iakovian Stadium, were essentially cancelled

because the pupils pulled down the symbols of Great Britain and prevented those invited from entering

the sports ground.  A leading role in these events was played by Evagoras Pallikarides, the hero of

1955-1959. The events in Pafos showed that the people were ready for the uprising which was not

slow to come. Pafos was the only town in the whole of the vast British Empire in which such events

took place on the day of the Queen of England’s coronation.

In September 1953 Pafos suffered a severe earthquake. Forty people were killed and another hundred

were injured. Thousands of houses, public buildings and churches were either completely destroyed or

severely damaged.

Pafos played an important role in the armed struggle of the people of Cyprus against the British from

1955-1959. The first boat which came secretly from Greece bringing weapons for the Cypriot fighters

was seized off the coast of Pafos, near Chlorakas, and its crew were arrested by the colonial police,

tried and imprisoned. The last hero of the struggle to be hanged by the British was Evagoras

Pallikarides, a pupil at the Greek Gymnasium of Pafos. During British rule Pafos had developed

considerable intellectual and educational activity thanks to the efforts of the enlightened people of the

town. Writers from Greece visited Pafos and gave lectures on subjects which preoccupied the

intellectual life of Greece and Cyprus. Intellectual associations, such as “Kinyras”, which was founded

by Loizos Philippou, had a noteworthy presence and activity, newspapers circulated from the early

years of British rule, literary journals such as “Pafos” had Panhellenic range, there were important

works of poetry and prose and literary events such as the “Palamikes Yiortes” (“Palamas Festival”)

organised by Christodoulos Galatopoulos are worthy of mention.

On the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960, Pafos entered a new period growth, feeling

particularly proud because the first President of the Republic, Archbishop Makarios III, came from

Panayia in the Pafos district. New roads and bridges were built, new industries established and

agriculture developed. During this period the tourist industry began to take an upward course. In

general, the period 1960-1974 was one of the best for the economic growth of Pafos.

Several unpleasant events, however, occurred during this period , which had a negative effect on the

economic growth of the whole island and, naturally, of Pafos. In December 1963 there were violent

clashes in Nicosia between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. A few months later, in March 1964,

there was an armed clash between the Greeks and Turks of Pafos. The clashes had begun on 27th

December and culminated in the battle of Ktima, which lasted three days, from March 9th-11th 1964.

The centre of the clashes was the market place of Ktima and the Turkish quarter of Moutalos. The

Greeks and Turks, who had lived together for centuries and cooperated in all areas without problems,

clashed violently and left many casualties on the battlefield. A few months after the battles in Ktima, in

August 1964, the Paphians fought in Tillyria against the Turks who bombed the area. Pafos paid a

heavy toll in blood in the battles of Tillyria for the capture of the heights of Lorovounou. A number of

Greek Cypriots were killed in the strikes by the Turkish airforce, which used napalm bombs. Most of

the dead belonged to the medical unit which was bombed at Pachyammos Hospital.

On July 15th 1974, following the coup d’etat by the Greek Junta and their Cypriot collaborators against

the President of the Republic, Archbishop Makarios III, Pafos was transformed into a veritable

stronghold of resistance. After the Presidential Palace had been bombed and set on fire, President

Makarios took refuge in Pafos and through the Free Radio Station there, which had begun operating

immediately after the coup, sent a live proclamation to the Cypriot people, asking the citizens to resist

the coupists.

A direct result of the coup d’etat was the Turkish invasion on 20th July 1974, which caused huge

destruction in Cyprus. There were thousands of dead and missing and tens of thousands of Greek

Cypriots were forced to leave their homes and properties and become refugees in their own country.

Pafos was bombed indiscriminately by the Turkish air force during the invasion. There were also

battles in many areas of Pafos between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, especially in the Turkish quarter

of the town. After the Turkish invasion, which brought a number of refugees who settled temporarily in

the Turkish quarter of the town, the struggle began for survival and economic recovery. Since the two

main tourist areas of Cyprus, Famagusta and Kyrenia, were occupied by Turkish forces, great

importance was attached to the tourist development of Pafos. The International Airport was

constructed and new hotels and facilities built to serve the tourists who come from all over the world to

enjoy the natural beauty, to relax and to visit the historical and archaeological sites of the district.

Pafos today, as full of light as ever, spreads over the hill which dominates the small valley stretching

green down to the sea. It enjoys the cool and fragrant air which starts from the sea, passes across

Mousallas and the cathedral, the market place and the squares, bringing with it the voice of bygone

centuries, each of which leaves its own traces. The entrance to the town, with the memorial to the

fallen, Solomos Square, the Public Garden, the row of the neo-classical buildings of the schools,

Kostis Palamas Square and 28th October Square, the Town Hall and the Public Library, are

reminiscent of a town of classical Greece transferred to a modern period centuries later. One can trace

the history of this town in its broken marble, its old buildings, the stones which have survived time and

the devastation brought by the various conquerors, and in its people. The citizen of Pafos, who lives a

comfortable life thanks to the prosperity which exists as a result of the economic growth of the town

and who has no cause to envy any town in Europe, continues to be the same as the citizen described

by Cicero in his letter to Gaius Sextilius Rufus: a citizen whom you should get to know to appreciate.

*The original text was translated in english by Cyprus Today magazine

Archaeological sites in Paphos With a history dating back more than eight thousand years, Pafos has a wealth of treasures for the visitor. From the Stone Age, Hellenistic and Roman times, Byzantium through to today, many of the ancient monuments are included in the UNESCO Global Heritage List.Medieval Castle of Paphos

 Harbour, Kato PaphosTel: +357 26306217Open daily:Winter hours (1st November- 31st March): 08.00-17.00Spring hours (1st April - 31st May): 08.00-18.00Summer hours (1st June - 31st August): 08.00-19.30Autumn hours (1st September - 31st October): 08.00 - 18.00Entrance: €1.70  Pafos castle was originally a Byzantine fort built to protect the harbour. It was rebuilt by the Lusignans in the 13th century, dismantled by the Venetians in 1570 during the Ottoman invasion and rebuilt by the Ottomans after they captured the island in the 16th century. Originally, this role was served by the Saranta Kolones fort, the ruins of which lie a few hundred meters to the north. During its long history, the Pafos Castle was used, as well as for protection, as prison cells, and even as a storage area for salt when the island was a British colony. In 1935 it was declared an ancient monument and today is considered as one of the hallmarks of the Pafos region.Many cultural events take place in the square just in front of the castle, while during September each year the Pafos Aphrodite Festival which presents a different opera every year staged here by world famous artists with the castle building usually acting as part of the scenery.Paphos Archaeological Park  Kato Pafos, near Pafos harbourTel: +357 26306217 Open Daily:Winter hours (1st November - 31st March): 8.00 - 17.00Spring hours (1st April - 31st May): 8.00 - 18.00Summer hours (1st June - 31st August): 8.00 - 19.30Autumn Hours (1st September - 31st October): 8.00 - 18.00Entrance: €3.40 The inclusion of the Kato Pafos archaeological site in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1980 was the starting point for the creation of a General Plan whose aim would be primarily to protect and maintain the archaeological remains, as well as to promote them and provide comprehensive information to visitors. Kato Pafos archaeological Park includes sites and monuments from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages, while most remains date to the Roman period. The marvellous mosaic floors of four Roman villas from the impressive epicentre of the finds. The complex includes other important monuments, such as the Asklipieion, the Odeion, the Agora, the "Saranta Kolones" (Forty Columns) Fortress, the "Limeniotissa" Ruins of early Christian Basilica and the "Tombs of the Kings". The gymnasiumKato Pafos, near Pafos harbour Tel: +357 26306217Open daily:Winter hours (1st November- 31st March): 08.00-17.00Spring hours (1st April - 31st May): 08.00-18.00Summer hours (1st June - 31st August): 08.00-19.30Autumn hours (1st September - 31st October): 08.00 - 18.00Entrance: €3.40 (Paid at the entrance of the Archaeological Park and includes all sites within the Park)  The gymnasium of Pafos has not yet been discovered. The theatre, even though it has not been excavated, lies on the southern slope of the small Fabrica hill where there are visible remnants of its seats. From among the already mentioned temples of New Pafos,

the only one identified is a small sanctuary of Apollo Hylates, situated outside the eastern walls of the town where the eastern cemetery also lies. The sanctuary, dating to the end of the 4th century B.C, is hewn out of the hard rock and consists of two adjoining, small chambers. An engraved inscription over the entrance to the first chamber indicates that the sanctuary is dedicated to Apollo.

Panagia Chrysopolitissa

Kato Pafos Tel: +357 26306217Open daily:Winter hours:  08.00 -13.00 and 14.00-16.00Spring hours:  08.00- 13.00 and 14.00 -17.00Entrance: FreeThe Panagia Chrysopolitissa church was built in the 13th century over the ruins of the largest Early Byzantine basilica on the island. Within the compound one can see St. Paul's Pillar, where according to tradition Saint Paul was flogged before the Roman Governor Sergius Paulus was converted to Christianity. Originally the church was seven–aisled, but later was reduced to five aisles. The floor of the basilica was covered with colourful mosaics, some of which are still preserved.

Royal Manor of Kouklia Kouklia VillageTel: +357 26432155 Open daily:Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 08.00 -16.00Wednesday: 8.00 - 17.00Entrance: €3.40 (the price includes entry to the local Museum of Palaipafos-Kouklia)

The Royal Manor of Kouklia constituted the nucleus of the feudal estate of the area, which among other things, supervised sugar production. It is a big building complex dating to the 13th century with some later extensions renovated in modern times. Today it houses the local archaeological museum.Aphrodite's Temple Kouklia Village/ South-west of Kouklia VillageTel: +357 26432155 Open daily:Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 08.00 -16.00Wednesday: 8.00 - 17.00Entrance: €3.40 (the price includes entry to the of Palaipafos archaeological site-Kouklia) The Sanctuary of Aphrodite is located at Kouklia village, 14 km east of Pafos, off the Limassol (Lemesos) - Pafos road.Palaipafos, which means Old Pafos, was one of the most celebrated pilgrimage centres of the ancient Greek world, and once a city-kingdom of Cyprus. Here stood the famous Sanctuary of Aphrodite, the most ancient remains of which date back to the 12th century BC.The glorious days of the sanctuary lasted till the 3rd - 4th century. The museum, housed in the Lusignan Manor, contains many interesting finds from the area and excavations are continuing on the site of the sanctuary, the city and the necropolis.

Ancient city of Marion

Following the example of Alexander the Great, the Ptolemies founded several new cities. In Cyprus the city of Marion was rebuilt in the beginning of the 3rd century B.C. after its total destruction by Ptolemy I and was re-named Arsinoe in honour of Arsinoe II, sister and wife of Ptolemy Philadelphos. Two other cities were founded in the name of Arsinoe, one in the east of Cyprus at

Salamis, and the second in the district of Pafos, between New and Old Pafos. This town which, according to Strabo, had anchorage (προσόρμιον), a sanctuary (ιερό), and a sacred grove (άλσος), has not been identified. Its sanctuary was probably dedicated to queen Arsinoe who, on her death (in 270 B.C.) was deified and worshipped in Paphos equally with Aphrodite, as were many other Ptolemeic kings and queens.

  Kings of MarionThe ancient kingdom of Marion with its capital of the same name (present day “Polis tis Chrysochous”) was also situated in the Pafos district. From inscriptive and numismatic evidence we know the names of only 5 kings of Marion: 1. Doxandros (5th century B.C.)2. Sasmas (5th century B.C.)3. Stasioikos I (5th century B.C.)4. Timocharis (5th century B.C.)5. Stasioikos II (5th century B.C.)Ancient theatre in Pafos The theatre at Pafos in western Cyprus lies in the north-eastern corner of the ancient town, diagonally opposite the harbour. It seems to have been built early in the life of the town, in the last years of the fourth century BC.

It seems to show close links with the architecture of Alexandria, as one would expect given that Pafos was the Ptolemaic capital of the island, and there is every chance that it reflects the style of the theatre of Alexandria, which is no longer preserved.

It seems to show several features that are important to the evolution of ancient theatre design, not least its semicircular form. The theatre is only partially built into a hill and the rest was built up with an artificial earthen embankment on which stone seating was placed. To the south of the theatre a paved road was constructed parallel to the stage building in the third century AD. Excavations through part of it have revealed a series of closely-dated deposits which are proving to have far-reaching importance for the chronology of pottery and glass of the 3rd and 4th centuries.

In the 13th-15th centuries AD there was a sizeable farmstead over the area of the stage-building, and it is part of important medieval activity in Pafos, in the period of the Crusaders.

Christian Basilicas at Pegeia  

In the town of Pafos, as well as in the rest of Cyprus, many fine Christian basilicas were constructed during the Early Byzantine period. Today in Pafos, the remains of two such basilicas are preserved, that of Panagia Chrysopolitissa and Panayia Limeniotissa.The basilica of Panagia Chrysopolitissa is situated in the eastern part of the town. It is the largest basilica excavated so far in Cyprus and once it was the cathedral of the town and the seat of its bishop. It was built at the end of the 4th century and destroyed in the middle of the 7th century, during the Arab raids. This was originally the seven-aisled basilica, which was rebuilt and modified several times. The Medieval church of Agia Kyriaki stands nearby. The basilica of Panagia Limeniotissa is situated a short distance from Pafos harbour. This is a three-aisled basilica, built at the beginning of the 5th century. Very few sections of its mosaic floors with geometric patterns have been preserved.Three other basilicas, one next to the other, have been excavated in the Cape Drepano area, about 15 kilometers northwest of Pafos. They are known as the basilicas of Agios Georghios tis Pegeias. The largest of them, a three-aisled basilica, was built in the middle

of the sixth century, the second one a few years later and the third at the end of the 6th or the beginning of the 7th century.

Interesting PlacesBirthplace of Aphrodite Cyprus is renowned as the island of beauty. The "Petra tou Romiou" area is one of the most beautiful coastlines in Cyprus, where, according to mythology, Aphrodite rose from the waves. The Greek name "Petra tou Romiou" ("the Rock of the Greek") is associated with the legendary Byzantine hero, Digenis Akritas, who, according to legend, kept the marauding Saracen Arabs (7th-10th centuries) at bay with his amazing strength. With one hand he was said to have grabbed hold of the Kyreneia mountain range thereby forming "Pentadaktylos", the Five Finger mountain, while with the other hand he heaved a huge rock and tossed it into the sea at the Saracens who were trying to land. The rock still remains and thus gave the region its name. The site is a stop on the Aphrodite Cultural route.

Village of Geroskipou

The name Geroskipou derives from the classical Greek "Hieros Kipos" meaning

"Sacred Garden". It is believed that in ancient times it used to be an extensive area of beautiful gardens, dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite. Today the gardens have been

replaced by the modern village renowned for its "Cyprus delights" sweets. Geroskipou is a

stop on the Aphrodite Cultural Route.

Pano Panagia Village The village of Pano Panagia is the birthplace of the late Archbishop Makarios III, first Presidentof the Republic of Cyprus. His humble house has been converted into a museum.

Episkopi Village - Pafos 

 Episkopi, is built on a steep slope on the west side of the Ezousa River valley, located some 11kms northeast of Paphos. A stroll around the village reveals to visitors that the traditional core of the village remains unchanged. The old stone drinking fountain with its characteristic arches still stands.At a distance of around 1.5kms north of the village is a picnic site recently established as a joint initiative by the community and the village’s emigrants. It is an idyllic location on the east bank of the Ezousa, surrounded by greenery.The area’s geological formations and the existence of the valleys with their perennial water have resulted in a wealth of species and habitats.  

Within the area lies one of the island’s most interesting monuments: the Episkopi Rock, and one of the most elegant historical monuments: the 16th century Sindi Monastery, recipient of a Europa Nostra award for excellence in restoration (1997).Episkopi attracts more and more visitors each year with its surrounding countryside being perfect for walking, birdwatching, photography, painting and much more offering the opportunity to enjoying the real Cypriot village life.  It is easily accessible from Pafos and Limassol while is a short drive away from Pafos main town, 15 minutes form the nearest beach and just 6 km from Minthis Hills Golf club.

Lempa Village

Excavations in the village of Lempa have brought to life an important settlement of the Chalcolithic Age. Near the site replicas of five houses from this period have been reconstructed using the same materials and the same building methods used in Chalcolithic times (3900-2500 BC). The Chalcolithic settlement site is a stop on the Aphrodite Cultural Route.Chlorakas Village

Agios Georgios boat The Agios Georgios boat was used to import ammunition for the Liberation Struggle in 1955-59. It is displayed in a specially created shelter by the coast of Chlorakas. The church of Agios Georgios is situated nearby.Agios Georgios Basilicas - "Pegeia Fountains"

Agios Georgios, Pegeia villageDaily: 08.30-18.00 (Nov - March: 08.30-17.00)Entrance fees:  €1.71 (CY £1.00) Approximately 4.5km from the village of Pegeia, near the fishing shelter, lie the ruins of two early Christian basilicas with very interesting floor mosaics depicting animals. This must have been the site of an important early Christian settlement. Nearby are rock-hewn tombs of the Roman period.The picturesque "Pegeia fountains", about which many folk songs have been sung, can be seen in the pretty cobbled square of the village.Laona region The area near the town of Polis and the Akamas peninsula rising to about 600m above sea level is known as the Laona region. It includes picturesque villages such as Ineia, Drouseia, Kathikas, Pano and Kato Akourdaleia, all with panoramic views across the area.Pafos Municipal Gallery

Gladstone 7, Tel: 26930653Monday - Sunday: 10.00-13.00Monday - Friday: 15.00-17.00 (April - October: 17.00-20.00)Entrance free The Gallery showcases works of art by local artists."Loutra" - Ottoman Hammam (Baths)

Near the old market place The Ottoman baths operated up until the 1950s. They consist of a stone vaulted building with three areas -  a reception area, an intermediate area and the main baths. The building has now been restored and is used as the PafosMunicipal Cultural Centre."Baths of Aphrodite" - Akamas

Akamas regionNear Polis, 48km north of Pafos The northwestern peninsula of Cyprus, known as Akamas, is a wild uninhabited region with spectacular landscapes and beaches, due to be designated a National Park. The area is named after Akamantas, an Atherian warrior and son of Theseus, who arrived here

after the Trojan War. It is a unique area of biodiversity, habitats and ecosystems. Almost all the geological formations of Cyprus are met here, from narrow deep valleys to caves islets and gorges. There are over 500 different types of plants and nature trails that criss cross the peninsula passing through unspoiled areas of extreme physical beauty. The area is ideal for hiking, cycling, diving and swimming in crystal clear waters.The "Baths of Aphrodite" is an area in the Akamas between Polis and Cape Arnaouti. It derived its name from a small grotto shaded by an old fig tree, in the waters of which, legend has it, the goddess Aphrodite used to bathe. According to mythology, this is where she met her lover Adonis. The site is on the Aphrodite Cultural Route.Polis

37km north of Pafos The town of Polis is where the ancient city-kingdom of Marion once stood, an important commercial centre in the Classical and Hellenistic periods, with close ties with Athens. During the Hellenistic-Roman period, Marion was renamed Arsinoe. Polis has become a popular sea-side resort with a noteworthy traditional centre that maintains its beauty and many of its traditional buildings.Kouklia Kouklia is a village of the district of Pafos and lies at a distance of about 16 kilometres from the city of Pafos. The archaeological findings of the area, the "Petra tou Romiou" venue, the legend of Aphrodite, the unsparing natural beauty of the region, and the unique combination of mountains with the deep blue sea give the village of Kouklia a uniqueness that can be rarely found anywhere else.Please visit www.kouklia.org.cyNatural beauties

The Pafos district is one of the most beautiful parts of the island. beauties. Here are some places not to be missed:

Petra tou RomiouThis is a large rock on the southern shores of Cyprus. It is lapped by the sea, with a number of limestone rocks that have fallen off the cliff lying in the waves. According to legend, this rock was thrown against pirates by Dighenis Akritas, a legendary Byzantine hero. The view from the clifftop (from the road to Lemesos (Limassol) road) at sunset is so majestic that it is no wonder that this spot is believed to have been where the goddess Aphrodite rose from the waves.

KantarkastoiThis is a coastal locality with a rocky, rough beach and sea-grottos created by erosion. The grottos are grouped all around a small bay. Rocks scattered here and there in the sea, give the scenery almost unreal magnificence. This spot is located to the northwest of Pafos, near the small island of Agios Georgios tis Pegeias (Geronisos). There are small sea-grottos further to the east towards Coral Bay and to the west towards Akamas.

LaraΑ locality to the west of Kantarkastoi towards the Akamas peninsula. The spot is secluded, wild and imposing, with a magnificent sandy beach in the south-eastern, small bay. Turtles are bred in the area, in particular the species of Chelonia mydas which was in danger of extinction.

The Akamas PeninsulaThis is the western tip of Cyprus. The area is difficult to reach and particularly imposing and wild. The coast is rocky.

The Avakas gorge

An impressive gorge, about 2 km long, between 3 and 10 m wide at its bottom and over 80m height at its deepest point. It is crossed by the river of the same name, which flows into the sea between Cape Drepano and Lara. The gorge is accessible along a country road going through the village of Arodhes. It is particularly imposing when viewed from the bottom, but getting there can be a feat, which requires special training.

The Fontana Amorosa (Love Spring)An enchanting locality in the Akamas peninsula with a legendary, fresh-water spring. It is a beautiful, rocky, small bay surrounded by rich, wild vegetation. It is one of the most alluring spots in Cyprus, although not easily accessible by land. Its name is attributed to the Italian poet of the Renaissance, Lodovico Ariosto.

SmighiesAnother beautiful spot in the Akamas area, although not located by the sea. It lies to the west of the village of Neo Chorio, through which it can be reached. The vegetation is luxuriant. Legend has it that in this place the mythical Byzantine hero Dighenis Akritas was reunited with Righena, a beautiful and mysterious queen of Cypriot legends and traditions. The ruins of a medieval watch-tower found on the top of a hill in the Akamas area to the west of Smighies, is supposed to be the Righena's castle. From this summit, especially in the afternoon, there is an excellent view of the whole Akamas peninsula.

The Baths of AphroditeΑ locality close to the sea, in the eastern hillside of the Akamas, which can be reached through Polis of Chrysochous. It is a vertical, limestone rock with a cavity, forming a shallow cave. Water springs up from the rock, falling gently like rain-drops to its foot, forming a small pool. All around the vegetation is so luxuriant, so much so that both the spring and the pool are constantly shaded. This spring is the mythical place, where Aphrodite, the Goddess of Beauty and Love, used to take her bath.

Stavros tis PsokasΑ mountain locality in the Pafos forest where the station of the Forestry Department is situated. It is the area where the moufflon , a species of wild sheep, found only in Cyprus, can be spotted.

The Cedar ValleyΑ mountain locality in the Pafos forest, between the districts of Pafos and Lefkosia (Nicosia). It is crossed by the country road which joins the village of Panagia with the monastery of Panagia tou Kykkou. The exceptional beauty of the valley lies in its imposing endemic cedars.Three other interesting mountain localities in the Pafos district have the remnants of three old bridges. The Skarfos bridge lies between the villages of Evretou and Sarama over the river Stavros tis Psokas, built in 1618. The bridge of Kelefos over the river Roudia in the Pafos forest, lies to the northwest of the village of Agios Nikolaos, while the bridge of Roudia lies over the river Xeros, east of the village of Vretsia.  Byzantine Art - an ancient Greek heritage 

The Byzantine Empire began at the end of the 4th century and included Russia, Bulgaria and Asia Minor. It lasted a thousand years and succeeded the old Eastern Roman Empire soon after Greece became Orthodox in its religion. Later, its demise was marked by the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453. The empire left a rich legacy of beautiful religious art that can be found in churches and monasteries throughout Greece and the islands. Today visitors to Cyprus can enjoy the very distinct frescoes and marvel at the clarity of their colour despite their age.Between 330 and 1191 AD, after the split of the Roman Empire, Cyprus came under the Eastern Roman Empire, known as Byzantium, with Constantinople as its capital. Byzantine art was a continuation of the ancient Greek heritage. What makes the Byzantine art of Cyprus so interesting are the church architecture, the beautiful coloring of church interiors and the remarkable development of exquisite mosaic work. Nine

Byzantine churches in the Troodos mountains have been included in the official UNESCO world heritage list.Those churches along with a number of monasteries nestling in lonely mountain valleys, the icon collections, the mosaics as well as the Byzantine museum of Nicosia make a Byzantine tour a great experience.Museums Pafos is one of the most important centres of civilisation of the whole Mediterranean. The whole town of Pafos, the ancient capital of Cyprus, is included in the official UNESCO World Heritage list. Wherever one treads in Pafos one comes across its glorious history dating back thousands of years, when the cult of the goddess Aphrodite flourished in this beautiful part of the world attracting many visitors from within the island and abroad and later when it was associated with the spread of Christianity.  Pafos was the island's capital for six centuries.It is the perfect place to combine first class holidays with a walk through history.  Immerse yourself in the archaeology, history and culture of Pafos and experience at first hand one of the oldest civisations of the world.

Paphos Archaeological MuseumGriva Digeni 43, PaphosTel: +357 26306215All the year roundMonday: 8.00-14.30Tuesday-Thursday-Friday:08:00-15:00Wednesday: 08.00-17.00 Saturday: 09:00-15:00Sunday: ClosedEntrance: €1.70  The archaeological Museum of Pafos houses an attractive collection of Cypriot antiquities from the Pafos area, dating from the Neolithic Age to 1700 AD.The exhibits, originating mainly from Palepafos (Kouklia), Nea Pafos (present day Pafos) and Marion-Arsinoe (Polis), are supplemented by finds from Pegeia, Kisonerga, Lempa, Pano Arodes, Salamiou, Akourdalia, Pomos, Kidasi, Geroskipou etc.Five rooms showcase interesting exhibits dating from the Neolithic era to the Middle Ages. In the first room the visitor can see exhibits from the Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Bronze Age, including coins cut from the mint of Pafos.The second room houses exhibits from the Iron Age and Classical period. A tombstone from Marion with the Cyprosyllabic script is also worth seeing.In the third room the visitor can see exhibits from the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Centre of attention is the marble statue of Asklepios and a marble bust of Aphrodite.The fourth room hosts exhibits from the late Roman and early Christian periods, while in the recently added fifth, are items from the Byzantine Period and the Middle Ages in general.

Geroskipou - Folkloric Museum

3 km (2 miles) east of PafosTel: +357 26306216Open Daily: 08.30 - 16.00Entrance: €1,70 The name of Geroskipou village comes from the Greek phrase "Ieros Kipos" the sacred garden of Aphrodite. A fascinating collection of folk art and craft pieces is exhibited in the beautiful traditional house of Hadjismith.Polis Archaeological Museum Marion / Arsinoe

 26 Leoforos Makariou III Str.,Polis, 35 km (22 miles) from PafosTel: +357 26 32 29 55Open Daily:Monday: 08:00-14:00Thursday, Thursday, Friday: 8:00-15:00Saturday: 09:00-15:00Sunday closedEntrance: €1,70The local Museum of Marion - Arsinoe at Polis opened its doors to the public in 1998. It was built by the Government of Cyprus with the generous financial support of Mr. Nicos Shacolas. The Museum consists of three exhibition spaces - Rooms I and II and the Atrium. Objects in Room I, which was named after Mr. Nicos Shacolas, derive from an extensive area around Polis and are chronologically arranged so as to portray its historical development from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods to the Medieval period.In Room II exhibits come from the rich necropolis of the area with special reference to the location and excavation of the above cemeteries. According to ancient literary sources recorded by Stephanos Vyzantios, the city of Marion was founded by the legendary King Marieas. On present evidence Marion had already been inhabited at the end of the Neolithic and throughout the Chalcolithic period. It began to prosper from the Cypro-Archaic period onwards and became one of the most important ancient Cypriot city-kingdoms in the Cypro-Classical period with important commercial relations with the East Aegean islands, Attica and Corinth. Byzantine Museum Adjoining the Bishopric(next to Ag. Theodoros Church),5 Andrea Ioannou Str., PafosTel: +357 26 93 13 93

WinterMonday-Friday: 09:00-15:00Saturday: 09:00-13:00 SummerMonday-Friday: 09.00-16.00 Saturday: 09:00-13:00Entrance: €1,71 (CY £1,00) Pafos Archibishop's Residence, Agiou Theodorou street, Pafos.  An attractive collection of objects from the Byzantine period, including Byzantine icons from the 7th to 18th centuries, including the oldest icon found yet in Cyprus dating to the 7th or 8th century. The extremely interesting Byzantine Museum of Pafos lies within the precincts of the Pafos Bishopric. It houses a great number of Byzantine icons, ranging mainly from the 12th to the 19th century, collected from churches and monasteries of the district of Pafos. These icons express the religious faith of the Pafians during the Byzantine era and inform present day visitors of the high artistic quality of those times. The oldest icon, that of the Virgin Eleousa, from the church of the Monastery of Agios Savvas tis Karonos, dates to about 1200 A.D. and is an exquisite example of Byzantine art.The Byzantine Museum also contains liturgical books, firmans, manuscripts, wood-carvings, crosses, silverware, priests' robes, etc.Palaipafos Museum Kouklia village, 14 km (9 miles) east of PafosTel: +357 26 43 21 80

Open Daily: 09:00-16:00Entrance: €1,70

Palaipafos, Old Pafos, was one of the most celebrated pilgrimage centres of the ancient Greek world, and once a city-kingdom of Cyprus. Here stood the famous sanctuary of Aphrodite, the most ancient remains of which date back to the 12th century BC. The glorious days of the sanctuary lasted till the 3rd-4th century. The museum, housed in the Lusignan Manor, contains many interesting finds from the area, and excavations continue on the site of the sanctuary, the city and the necropolis.

This is a private ethnographic museum belonging to the Eliades family, which was known up until 1971 as a Folk Art Museum, and was probably the richest and best private museum on the island. It consists of the collection of the late George Eliades, an intellectual, with an interest in archaeology, history, folk art and literature, who for over half a century collected art treasures from the countryside of Cyprus, particularly from his native Pafos district.Components of the physical and man-made environment, like natural caves, a Hellenistic rock-cut tomb, a terebinth tree, architecture dating back to 1894 as well as a kiosk, have been incorporated into the ethnographic museum.

Exhibits include costumes, particularly rural costumes and trimmings, traditional carved wooden furniture, farming tools, kitchen utensils, clay artefacts, looms and woven articles, as well as archaeological finds, mainly from the Chalcolithic period.

Byzantine Museum of Arsino

c/o Bishopric of Arsinoe, Polis, Pafos districtPeristerona village, 9 km (6 miles) south of Polis, Pafos districtTel: +357 26 35 25 15

Open Daily:April-OctoberMonday-Friday: 10:00-13:00 & 14:00-18:00Saturday: 10:00-13:00November-MarchMonday-Friday: 10:00-16:00Saturday: 10:00-13:00Entrance:  €1,71 (CY £1,00)

An attractive collection of objects from the Byzantine period, including Byzantine icons from the 13th to 19th centuries, as well as wood carved ecclesiastical items, local and imported silver and metal artefacts as well as textiles. Rare books and manuscripts are also on display.

Maa -Palaiokastro   Maa-Palaiokastro (Coral Bay)  Open Daily:  Winters hours (1st November - 31st March): 8.30 - 16.00  Spring hours (1st April - 31st May): 8.30 - 16.30  Summer hours (1st June - 31st August): 8.30 - 16.00  Autumn hours (1st September - 31st October): 8.30 - 16.00   Entrance: €1.70 

This is where the first ancient (Mycenaean) Greeks settled, who emigrated to Cyprus at around 1200 BC after the fall of the Mycenaean Kingdoms in mainland Greece. It is

a very important site for Cyprus because this is where Hellenism on the island originated.

The little museum with its unusual architecture is the work of Andrea Bruno, Professor at the University of Turin and one of Europe's greatest architects. The Museum depicts the colonisation of Cyprus by the Mycenaean Greeks. 

Christianity and Cyprus In A.D. 45 the Apostles Paul and Barnabas accompanied by the evangelist John Mark, visited and the island and stopped off in Pafos, then the capital of Cyprus. The Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus, was initiated into Christianity by the Apostles and eventually converted to the new religion. Despite this important success, legend has it, that the Apostles faced problems in Pafos. It is believed, that Paul was first tied and beaten receiving forty but one (i.e. 39) lashes. The inhabitants of Pafos even today point to a certain pillar, near the ruins of the Gothic church, known as the St. Paul pillar. They claim that the Apostle was tied to this column and whipped.Α short time later, the Cypriot Apostle, Barnabas, returned to Cyprus accompanied again by John Mark, for a new missionary tour of the island, which again included Pafos. Barnabas ended up in Salamis, where he was executed by the Jews of the town. He is considered the founder of the Autocephalus (independent) Church of Cyprus. In Α.D. 330, Constantine the Great transferred the capital of his Empire to Constantinople, an event which resulted in the split of the huge Roman Empire into Western and Eastern parts. This left Cyprus in  the Eastern part, namely the Byzantine Empire. 

In the footsteps of St. Paul in Pafos Follow in St Paul's footsteps and visit the places where he preached and spread Christianity. Although he was not one of Jesus' close circle of students, Paul became an Apostle as a result of his divine calling, thereby taking on the heavy burden of spreading the Gospel. Paul was fortunate in that he combined three elements essential to the role he was assigned. First he was a Jew, characterised by a fighting spirit and a streak of stubbornness, secondly he had a Greek education, spirit and soul, and third he was a Roman citizen, with an open passport in a vast empire that reached the limits of the known world at the time.In 45 AD the two Apostles Paul and Barnabas, accompanied by Mark, travelled from Antioch to Silesia and from there by ship to Cyprus, arriving at Salamis, the largest port on the island at the time. (Acts 13.5)In Pafos they managed to convert the Roman Proconsul who embraced the Christian faith thereby making Cyprus the first country in the world to be governed by a Christian.His arrival in Pafos According to written sources, St. Paul accompanied by Mark the Evangelist, entered Pafos through one of the Town entrances (gates), three of which survive to this day (Acts 13.5), "crossing the island to Pafos". 1) The north eastern gate, near and to the east of the theatre of Kato Pafos 2) The northern gate was situated on the hill known as "Fabrica", to the left of the modern road leading to the harbour. 3) The north western gate, which is the best preserved, once led to the town from the side of the sea and is the only place where the entrance bridge has survived above the moat around the walls.Panagia Chrysopolitissa

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 one can see St. Paul's Pillar, where, according to tradition, Saint Paul was flogged before the Roman Governor Sergius Paulus was converted to Christianity. Originally the church was seven–aisled, but later was reduced to five-aisles. The floor of the basilica was covered with colourful mosaics, some of which are still preserved.The House of Theseus / Mosaics  The Roman villas situated a stone's throw from Pafos harbour, were found accidentally and have the most exquisite mosaics depicting scenes from Greek mythology. The house of Theseus is believed to have been the residence of the Roman Proconsul Sergius Paulus, who, according to tradition, converted to Christianity upon hearing the preachings ofSt. Paul. It is possible that St. Paul visited this area in order to spread the word of God.

Pafos Monasteries  Agios Neophytos is the most important monastery in the district Pafos. It was founded by the Saint himself in 1170. The cave hewn out by the Saint from the mountainside and turned into a cell and church in 1159 is a little οlder. 

Most of the present day buildings of the monastery are modern and were built after the destructive earthquake of 1953. The church of the monastery was built at the beginning of the 16th century in the style of the Franco-Byzantine basilica with a dome. Excellent wall-paintings of the 16th century are preserved in the church. The Enkleistra (both the church and the cell) was also decorated with fine wall-paintings, executed in 1183 by Theodore Apseudes, under the supervision of St. Neophytes himself. From among these paintings, those in the Saint's cell and the altar of the Enkleistra have been preserved. The Sanctuary of the Enkleistra was repainted again in about 1200. Some paintings were also remade in the 16th century.

Panagia Chrysorroyiatissa monastery is situated near the village of Panagia. According to tradition it was founded in the 12th century when the icon of the Virgin Mary was transferred there by a monk.

Legend has it that the icon, supposedly painted by St. Luke, reached the coast of Pafos after it was thrown into the sea in Asia Minor, to be saved during the years of iconoclasm (war against images). The monastery was repeatedly destroyed by fires and its present buildings date to the 18th century as do the wood-carved iconostasis of its church, several icons, oil-lamps, the pulpit and other objects.

Panagia tou Sindi, which is abandoned today, lies near the villages of Pendalia and Agia Marina. Οnly a small but impressive church of the monastery is preserved in

relatively good condition, dating to the 16th century. This is a single-aisled church with an eight-sided external dome.

Agios Savvas tis Karonos was probably founded in the 12th century. It lies to the southeast of the village of Prastio of Kelokedhara. The church bearing the same name was built οn the ruins of an older one, dating to the 16th century. The monastery was destroyed by fire in 1467 and rebuilt with the help of the king of Cyprus, James II. Its church was built in 1533 and renovated in 1742.

Stavros tis Mithas is situated southeast of the village of Tsada. The date of its foundation is not known. The church of the monastery was built in 1745.

Agios Georghios ton Komanon lies south of the village of Mesana. Οnly the church of the monastery has been preserved. It was founded in the 15th century, but its church dates to the 16th century.

Agios Georghios Nikoxylitis is a small monastery lying northeast of the village of Droushia. Οnly its church is preserved, repaired after a fire in 1923 .

Αgia Μoni was founded, according to tradition, during the early Christian centuries οn the ruins of a pagan temple dedicated to Hera. It is situated a short distance south of the monastery of Chrysorroyiatissa and is also known as the Monastery of the Priests. The monastery flourished during the Frankish period and later.

Pafos Churches

Among the innumerable churches of the town and district of Pafos, the most important are the following: 

Agia Paraskevi in the village of Geroskipou. The oldest of the multi-domed churches of Cyprus. It is a 9th century vaulted basilica with five domes. Very few of its original wall-paintings are preserved. Some other surviving frescoes are 11th and 12th century work, the majority covered by the 15th century paintings. Ρanagia Chryseleousa in the village of Emba. It is a cruciform building with a dome, built at the beginning of the 13th century. The original frescoes are of the 13th century, but most of them date to the 15th century. Some of the excellent icons of the church date to the 16th century.

 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 one can see St. Paul's Pillar, where according to tradition Saint Paul was flogged before the Roman Governor Sergius Paulus was converted to Christianity.

Panagia Theoskepasti means 'Veiled by God'. The church is devoted to the Virgin Mary, and, according to tradition, a fog was sent by God to protect the original church during the Arab raids. The fog made it invisible to the Arabs as they approached it, and it thus avoided destruction.

 Panagia Limeniotissa is situated in Kato Pafos, near the harbour.Built in the early 5th century and dedicated to "Our Lady of the Harbour", which is the meaning of "Limeniotissa", it was almost completely destroyed during the 7th century Arab raids.

 Agios Georgios Basilica Near a fishing refuge 4.5 km from the village of Pegeia are the ruins of two early Christian basilicas with some very interesting mosaic floors depicting animals.

 Agia Solomoni The church of Agia Solomoni is located at Kato Pafos, Apostolos Pavlos avenue, about a kilometre away from the Kato Pafos harbour. It was carved underground out of limestone and originally was a catacomb, although according to some archaeologists it was originally graves dating back to the Hellenistic period.

Αgioi Kyrikos and Joulitta are situated at the village of Letimbou. It was built in the 15th century. Very few of its frescoes have survived. Agia Ekaterini  lies between the villages of Kritou Terra and Choli. It is a three-aisled edifice with a dome and a narthex. Built in the 15th century it was destroyed by the 1953 earthquake. Today it is in ruins, even though it was re-erected in 1956. Very few of its frescoes have survived. 

Agios Theodosios lies at Achelia. It is a cruciform building with a dome, built in the 13th century and decorated with fine wall paintings.

Panagia Katholiki is situated in the village of Kouklia. It is of the cruciform type with a dome and is situated to the east of the Sanctuary of Aphrodite. Most probably it was built in the 13th century and modified in the 16th century. It has the 16th century and older wall-paintings.

Archangelos Michael  is at the village of Choli. It is a single-aisled vaulted building of the 16th century with an elevated narthex added later. Its frescoes date to the 16th century, situated in a very secluded spot to the north of Kouklia. It is a small cave-chapel cut out of rock, supposedly used by St. Neophytos, before he moved to the hermitage near Pafos. The remarkable frescoes of the 15th century are preserved in this chapel.

Agios Georghios lies southwest of the village of Choulou. It is a one-aisled church with a dome and a vaulted narthex, decorated with fine frescoes of the 12th century.

Panagia Chorteni is situated north of the village of Pelathousa. It is a single-aisled church with a dome, decorated with frescoes.Saints of Pafos

Christianity took root in Pafos from early on perhaps more than in any other district of Cyprus. The enormous number of churches, chapels and monasteries here bear witness to this. One of the reasons for this is the rough and mountainous terrain of the district, which during Byzantine times offered the ideal conditions for seclusion and monastic life.

Amongst the many saints who have been through Pafos, living or dying in the district, the following are especially venerated:

The Apostles Barnabas and Paul and the Evangelist Mark who preached in the Pafos district and throughout Cyprus, laying the foundations of Christianity.

St. Gennadios (5th century A.D.). Patriarch of Constantinople, who came to Pafos after resigning his high position. While trying to discover the hermitage of St. Hilarion, he died of hardship and was buried in the same area. There is a deserted church dedicated to him at Moron Nero, near the village of Episkopi (Celebration day: 17th December). 

St. Agapitikos (Saint of love) of uncertain age. He came to Cyprus from Palestine and lived a hermit's life near the village of Arodhes. There is a sarcophagus in the village in which according to tradition, he was buried. Α second sarcophagus is supposed to be that of St. Misitikos (Saint of hatred). The first one blesses love and the second hatred.  St. Kendeas of uncertain age, who lived as a hermit in the area close to the sea near Pafos. Later, however, he moved to eastern Cyprus where he died (Celebration day: 6th of October).

The following bishops of Pafos are venerated as Saints: Epafras (1st century A.D.), Titos (1st century A.D.), Cyrillus or Kyriakos (4th century A.D.), Julius (4th century A.D.), Sapricius (5th century A.D.), Cilicius, Filagrius, Nicolaos (4th century A.D.) . St. Neophytos the Enkleistos (1134-1219) is the most important saint of the district and one of the most eminent of the Orthodox Church. He was born and lived in Cyprus. He lived as a hermit in a secluded area about 12 kilometres north-west of Pafos, where today stands a monastery dedicated to him. He lived a hermit's life also in other parts of the island and went on pilgrimages to the Holy Land. When he arrived in Pafos, he cut a cave (his hermitage) out of the rock with his own hands where he lived. He also served as a priest and founded a monastery that bears his name. An intellectual and a writer, he left a noteworthy body of mainly theological work. The monastery he founded is today one of the most important in Cyprus (Celebration days: 24th of January and 28th of September).

Akamas Peninsula The Akamas peninsula, as described in the Conservation Management Plan of World Bank/EU, covers about 230 square km and is located on the western tip of Cyprus. It is an area of great natural beauty unaffected by development. The uniqueness of the area for Cyprus, and for the whole of the Mediterranean, is centered on its precious ecology. The diversity of flora and fauna living in this relatively small area is truly impressive. Rare endemic plants grow there and foxes, snakes and other reptiles as well as many types of migratory birds live in Akamas or use it in their movements. Out of a total of 128 endemic plant species of Cyprus, the following 39 are found in the Akamas peninsula :  Alyssum akamasicum, Anthemis tricolor, Arenaria rhodia ssp. cypria, Asperula cypria, Astragalus cyprius, Ballota integrefolia, Bosea cypria, Carlina involucrata spp. cyprica, Carlina pygmea, Centaurea akamantis, Centaurea calcitrapa ssp. angusticeps, Centaurea veneris, Crocus veneris, Cyclamen cyprium, Euphorbia cypria, Gagea juliae, Gladiolus triphyllus, Helianthemum obtusefolium, Odontides cypria, Onobrychis venosa, Onopordum cyprium, Onosma fruticosum, Ophrys kotschyi, Ophrys lepethica, Origanum majorana, Ornithogalum pedicellare, Phlomis cypria var. occidentalis, Pterocephalus multiflorus ssp. multiflorus, Ptilostemon chamaepeuce var. cyprius, Rubia laurea, Scutellaria cypria var. elatior, Sedum cyprium, Sedum porphyreum, Senecio glaucous ssp. Cyprius, Taraxacum aphrogenes, Teucrium divaricatum ssp. Canescens, Teucrium micropodioides, Thymus integer, Tulipa cypria.  In addition to its species habitats, the area is also important because of its diverse community habitats. Some of these are:

Pine and juniper forests Maquis forest Gorges Sand dunes Cliffs etc.

 On a European level, Cyprus including the Akamas area has been identified as one of the 22 areas of endemism in Europe and one of only three European areas holding two or more restricted-range species of birds.A vitally important characteristic of this peninsula is its beaches. Akamas is the last large unspoiled coastal area remaining in Cyprus and one of the very few important sea turtle nesting areas in the Mediterranean. Both the Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta-caretta) and the rarer Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) nest here; the latter depends on the Akamas beaches for its very survival in this region. The IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) lists Loggerheads as "vulnerable" and Green Turtles as an "endangered species". According to the IUCN, the annual number of Green Turtle nesting females in the entire Mediterranean could be as low as 325-375.