Paphos is a city in the southwestern part of Cyprus, the capital of the homonymous province and one of the most important ancient kingdoms of the island. Among other things, it was famous as a center of worship of the goddess Aphrodite. The city is divided into two levels: At Paphos, known as Land which is the commercial center of the town and Kato Paphos where is lower and beach and is the foremost tourist destination of the island. All the archaeological site of Paphos is under protection of UNESCO since 1980.
The great cultural legacy of the city and the region of Paphos nearly 4000 years of existence, became Paphos essentially a large open museum. For this reason, UNESCO simply added the whole town on the World Heritage List. Real treasure considered the mosaics that were found after excavations in Kato Paphos, the House of Dionysus, the House of Aion and Theseus house, and which were kept in very good condition beneath the earth for 16 centuries until their accidental discovery in recent years and its disclosure after many years of excavations.
In the same area are the Tombs of the Kings, who are believed to be rich cemetery during Roman times. The tombs dating from the 4th century. Also the column of St. Paul, where the apostle was tortured and flogged by “forty but one” as punishment for the introduction of a “new daemons’ the place in missionary activity. In the same area are located below the surface of the earth the catacombs of St. Solomoni and Agios. Lamprianou which became the first religious ceremonies by Christians when persecuted. The first fact, that of Agia Solomoni preserved frescoes.
Also in the area of the mosaics are three theaters of which kept only two, the most famous of which is the “Ancient Odeon» Paphos. This Roman Odeon which is used today for performances. also preserved near Ancient Odeon part of Paphos walls, ruins of the Roman Forum as the Asklepieion.
More modern monuments like the castle “Forty Columns” remnants of the era of the Lusignan, like Paphos trademark, the famous castle located at Paphos harbor and was built to protect the harbor from Raiders originally by the Byzantines, and after the Lusignan in the 13th century.
All the above were incorporated into an archaeological park, which covers the area from the harbor up to the Kings tombs, accessible only to pedestrians, and even today many missions from various foreign universities arrive in the area for excavation after a very small percentage of fully excavated.
Voted as Europe’s cultural capital of course not accidental, because of the wide cultural heritage.
