Historical Paphos Attractions

As one of the most ancient towns in Cyprus, there are many beautiful historical Paphos attractions just waiting to be explored….

Tombs of the Kings

They were built over 600 years, starting in the 3rd century BC and are small with no decoration. There are over 100 tombs, and to get to the two most important you climb a flight of stairs into an open courtyard. Very little of the decoration and frescoes have survived up here.

Mosaics of Paphos

The House of Dionysos holds the oldest mosaic in Cyprus made unusually of black and white pebbles, featuring Scylla, a legendary monster that is part woman, part fish and part dog. The mosaics also feature other features of Greek mythology such as Poseidon and Narcissus.

The house of Aion is still being excavated, but has so far uncovered mosaics of Hermes, baby Dionysos’s first bath and the queen of Sparta. The House of Theseus was built in the 2nd century and due to its size is believed to have been the home of a Roman governor.

As well as pictures of Crete, the battle of Theseus and the Minotaur in the Labyrinth is depicted. The House of Orpheus has many rooms and baths in one corner. The most notable mosaic here shows Orpheus playing music with his lyre.

Saranda Kolones

No one is sure of the true origins of the medieval castle which was ruined by an earthquake in the 12th century and later reconstructed by the Lusignans. The Venetians were later in the process of extending the castle but abandoned it due to the invading Ottomans. Although the castle is in ruins, it is still a nice site to explore and is free to enter.

Paphos Archaeological Museum

In the first hall you will find pieces from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic eras as well as the Bronze Age. It includes jewellery and ceramics, as well as the mummy of a girl from the 3rd Century BC which was found in a village called Lempa. There are also Roman surgical tools which were discovered from a tomb which now lies under Annabelle Beach Hotel.

The second hall holds treasures from the Geometric, Archaic and Classical periods. You can see some beautiful paintings and sculptures in this room, including statues from the Altar of Aphrodite, and it is easy to spot the Egyptian and Ancient Greek influences in the artwork. There is also a glass cabinet displaying bronze and copper coins.

In the third hall are objects from the Hellenic and Roman periods. These include pots made from clay and glass, as well as icons and sculptures. There is a collection of lamps, including one featuring the Egyptian God Serapis.

Other interesting things in this room are prehistoric hot bottles made from clay which are shaped to fit around various parts of the body, and a beautiful sculpture of the head of the Egyptian Queen Isis.

The fourth hall has finds fro the Roman and Byzantine times, including pottery from the House of Dionysos. There are also several Christian inscriptions in marble and some very rare evidence of the period of Arab raids in Cyprus which can be seen in the Arabic inscriptions in the columns.

Lastly, the fifth hall houses objects from Frankish and Venetian eras such as pottery fro both Cyprus and abroad. There are also Frankish tombstones with inscriptions which provide historical information on nobles in Cyprus.

The museum is open everyday but closes at 1pm on weekends.

Paphos Fort

Return to Travel Paphos from Historical Paphos Attractions
Return to Cyprus History
Return to See the Real Cyrus Homepage from Historical Paphos Attractions

Copyright 2010-2012. All Rights Reserved.
No reproduction permitted without permission.

SBI!