A holiday favorite, Paphos, for most people, is all about the sun, sand and the sea, but despite its famous as a resort on the coast, this city has a lot of great historical attractions, which make a good diversion for days when you want to do more than the beach flop.
About
Best period
The weather is good throughout the year in Paphos
On average the hottest months are July, August and September
Tourist Attractions
Despite the richness of historical sites in and around Paphos, the resort is mainly visited for its beautiful beaches.In the eastern part of the city is the wonderful beach in Alykes with a lot of good facilities, making it a top choice for tourists with children.For something less crowded, go to Kissonerga Bay (eight kilometers north of the city), which has a fantastic sand band, but rarely sees more than a handful of visitors due to the few facilities.Lara Beach (26 kilometers north), on Akamas Heights, is the place one on the beach in the area - and is considered one of the best on the entire island.
Although small, Fort Paphos is one of the most popular attractions in Paphos.Built in 1592 by the Ottomans, it is placed on a medi castle previously built by Lusignans, which, in turn, was built on a Byzantine fort.Enter by passing a small bridge over a ditch.His main position, overlooking the port, made it an excellent defense line for the city.This is the first place in the city for panoramic views of the Mediterranean.Climb the roof for large panoramas of the port and sea panoramas.There are also ruins of another fort on the grain, but they consist only of two pieces of rock.
If you are looking for frescoes, this Byzantine church in the Geroskipou district is the best place to visit.Dating from the tenth century, the basilica is survived by five domes that form a cross and contains the fifteenth century beautiful paintings of Jesus' life.In particular, the secret dinner is wonderfully well preserved, although you also check the fresco and fresco washing.The colors of all three are still incredibly vibrant.If you look at the center dome, you can see another great fresco of the Virgin Mary by raising her arms.
Together with Ancient Kourion and Ancient Salamis, Soli is one of the most important cities in the Kingdom of Cyprus and was two important ages: first during the Assyrian period and then under Roman and Byzantine.The most important part of the site is the basilic building, which contains residues of mosaics kept on the floor.Of these, look for the mosaics of swans and dolphins, which survived the most intact.Below, different ruins of an Agora and the streets of the city are scattered on the hill, while above the basilica is a small theater.Ancient Soli is best visited as part of a day trip, including old old.You will need your transport to get here.
Paphos is a primary basis for one day trips to the western part of the North Cyprus.If you have rented a car for this day, passing through the border Limitis-Yeşilirmak of the main road on the west coast (do not forget to bring your passport) is fast and without stress.A few kilometers are heading to the north towards the photogen site of the old Vouni, where the extended ruins from the fourth century BC.From a palace are scattered on a hill.Although archaeologists are not completely sure of their history, it is believed that the palace could have been of Persian or Greek.There are fabulous views along the sea and the landscape here.
There are some well -preserved remnants of the Roman period in Paphos, scattered near the port area, all dates from the second century.Odeon (a small theater) is still used today for summer music festivals and has 12 rows of chairs.In front is the Great Court (95 square meters) of the Agora, which functioned as a Romanian market, with only the foundations and parts of the columns.Nearby are the broken remains of the ancient walls of the city.Next to Odeon is a modern lighthouse and a rocky mound that is believed to have been the city of the city.It was once a temple here, but little of it survived.Only to the south is a collection of buildings, which served as an asklepion (the altar of the healing god, asklepios), although there are not much.
This extended ruin was the largest Byzantine basilica in Paphos, and the remnants of some former beautiful mosaics are a proof of her distant grandfather.Probably it dates from the fourth century - at the top of the Byzantine power in Cyprus - and was destroyed in 653 AD.during the Arab raids on the island.At the eastern end of the site is the Ayia Kyriaki Church, which is still in use today for Catholic and Anglican services.At the western end of the site is the pillar of St. Paul, considered locally, the pillar in which St. Paul was tied and gave him 39 strokes as a punishment for preaching Christianity.After that, he managed to turn the governor into Christianity, transforming Cyprus into one of the first Christian states in the world.
Dionysus' houses are among the most beautiful in the Mediterranean and represent the top tourist attraction in Paphos.Accidentally discovered by a farmer who shows his fields, the mosaic works here are excellent, with natural limestone colors and present scenes from Greek mythology.One of the most popular mosaics is found in the back of the house, representing a Ganymede being taken back in Olympus by an eagle.The most famous mosaic, however, is the scene that illustrates Dionysos's triumph with God in a carriage drawn by leopards, while behind him is a meeting of followers in different stones.
One -half excellent day from Paphos, Fyti village is a resting place with a gentle, tangible atmosphere, despite its easy access to Paphos.Come here to step on the narrow streets and take a break from the noise and agitation on the coast.While here Pop in the Museum of Folk Art, where you can see demonstrations of traditional textile fabric, as well as to follow the history of these crafts and buy fine silk and cotton products.Otherwise, spend a little time in the village enjoying the ambience of sturdy stone houses and old-fashioned cobbled alleys.
A short two -kilometer walk, outside the city, brings you to the tomb camera rooms in the tombs of the kings.These impressive underground tombs date from the fourth century BC.And they are carved from solid rocks, some decorated with Doric pillars and all having a distinct Egyptian influence.This location of the UNESCO World Heritage Heritage was a funeral place for the old Paphos in Greek and Roman periods and was probably used for high officials or members of the society from these eras.There are seven graves to explore here, but if you are not in time, make a grave number three, which contains the most interesting architectural elements, with a lot of columns that surround its atrium.
History lovers should not miss the Archaeological Museum in Paphos, which contains a vast collection of discoveries from the excavations in the local area.Here you will find a well thought out exposure of Cypriot antiquities from the Neolithic era to the Ottoman era.The collection is hosted in four rooms.In the middle of the room there is a skeleton in the Lemba area.The second room contains a classic Greek style pottery, different sculptures, and a fine poster of grinding coins by different kingdoms.In the third room there are several sarcophagi and various Roman curiosities, including marble balls and hot water bottles, and the room four displays the discoveries on the Dionysos House website and exhibits from subsequent medi ceramic periods.
For those who want to wear walking boots, the Akamas Peninsula is a wild and beautiful place, perfect for nature hikers and lovers.It contains an amazing amount of flora and fauna and houses 35 species of plants found in Cyprus.The routes here are well marked and organized, which means that everyone, not just spicy pedestrians, can enjoy them.The most popular is the Aphrodite route, which lasts about four hours and starts and ends at Baths of Aphrodite and leads to the ruins of the Pyrgos Tis Rigainas monastery along the road.The other route not to lose is Adonis Trail, which is a short three -hour walk.
Aphrodite's sanctuary dates from the 12th century BC.And it was an important religious ritual center.The goddess was not represented in human form but by the conical stone, which was anointed with oil.There are several rooms around the court, which are a mixture of early Romanian constructions and additions.The southern wing is the best preserved of the building.There is a Phoenician temple inside this wing in a small courtyard, but the Roman reconstruction added to the confusion of the original appearance.The house was probably a residence for the priests who had a tendency to the sanctuary.There are the ruins of several other Roman houses on this place, especially Leda's house.It is reached in a marked path and contains a copy of the mosaic that describes Leda and Swan (the most famous in Cyprus).
