Archaeological park in Paphos how to get there. Agora, Odeon and other historical buildings of the Archaeological Park. Roman villas with mosaics

Archaeological park Paphos is best museum under open sky In Cyprus. It is located in the harbor historic city Pathos. The entrance to the park looks directly at the Mediterranean Sea, in its harbor. To enter it you need to pay about 3-4 euros for 1 person. The archaeological park in Paphos is a collection of remains of the architecture of Ancient Greece. The park was included in the list of objects by UNESCO. cultural heritage world (World Cultural Heritage List).
The main and most ancient exhibits in the parks are:
1. The famous mosaic canvases on the floors of four Roman buildings that were the houses of Dionysus, Theseus, Orpheus and Aion, laid out as early as the 3rd-5th centuries AD. The mosaic contains echoes of ancient Greek mythological motifs.
2. Ancient caves.
3. The catacombs of the early Christian period - the basilicas of Limeniotissa, RELATED TO the 5th century AD.
4. The ancient Odeon theater of the 2nd century AD, in which theatrical and musical performances were constantly held. The theater has an auditorium with two entrances, a stage and an orchestra hall.
5. Near the Odeon Theater are the remains of the ancient city wall.
6. Central ancient Roman square.
7. Temple of the god of medicine Asklepius. These structures date back to the 2nd-4th centuries AD.
8. In front of the theater, the Odeon was laid out central square Agora.
9. Frankish Castle of Forty Columns, built by these people around 1200, after they conquered Cyprus. It was built on the remains of a Byzantine fort, but was permanently destroyed in 1223.
10. Monumental underground Tombs of Kings. These structures were literally cut into the rocky ground in the 4th century BC. Representatives of the local nobility were buried here.
On the territory of the Paphos park, the remains of various buildings were found, the age of which dates back to times ranging from the Neolithic to 1700 AD.
The House of Dionysus is the most significant object of the archaeological complex. It was he who was first discovered during excavations in 1962, and the date of its construction was the 2nd century AD. In the 4th - 5th centuries the house was destroyed by an earthquake. Once the dwelling of Dionysus consists of forty rooms. The floors of most rooms are covered with mosaics. The main subjects were ancient Greek mythological motifs, hunting scenes. The oldest mosaic is the one that depicts the monster Scylla, it is located between Scylla and Charybdis and dates back to the 4th century BC. So these floors belonged even more ancient building on the site of which the house of Dionysus was built.
The Sezeus House is huge, measuring 120 meters long and 90 meters wide. Its construction dates back to the 2nd century AD, but over the next five centuries it underwent significant restructuring. The mosaics on the floor of this house are mostly mythological motifs that are associated with the owner of the house, as well as with the Minotaur, Achilles and Poseidon.

The first attraction of Paphos is a huge archaeological area on a wide cape jutting out into the sea. On such convenient location, surrounded by the sea on three sides, next to a convenient bay, a city could not but arise.

Archaeological zone of Paphos on the map

The archaeological area is fenced with a chain-link mesh. There are two entrances to the territory and several exits along the perimeter (in the form of a one-sided turntable). Main entrance to the archaeological park is located near the harbor, behind the parking lot. If you are standing at the Harbor city bus station, then you need to cross the parking lot and walk along the fence towards the sea.

The ticket costs 4-50. The archaeological park is open 7 days a week (we were on Monday) until 17:00 (in summer - until 19:30).

Entrance to the archaeological park

The zone is huge. Monuments of various eras are scattered on its territory. Conglomerate of times: Ancient Greece, Rome, Byzantium, Middle Ages, Ottoman Empire Every civilization has left its mark on this piece of land. Much remains underground and awaits its archeological researchers.

We spent three hours in the archaeological park. Be sure to take a plan when buying a ticket, because some objects without a plan can be skipped. A large field overgrown with grass spreads before your eyes, and only at a distance of a couple of meters you can, for example, see the descent into the early Christian church or the catacombs.

Roman villas with mosaics

The most valuable exhibits of the museum are four Roman villas of the 3rd-5th centuries. AD From the villas themselves, there are foundations, fragments of walls, columns, remains of baths, fountains and, most importantly, mosaic floors. It is thanks to these unique mosaics that ancient Paphos is included in the UNESCO list. And the villas themselves got their names from the characters depicted on the mosaics: the villas of Aeon, Theseus, Orpheus and Dionysus.

The villas of Aeon, Theseus, Orpheus are located together, one after the other, and the villa of Dionysus stands apart.

Right next to the entrance to archaeological zone The road forks: straight and to the right. Go straight to the sea, and this path will lead you to Villa Eona.

Villa Eona

It was excavated by Polish archaeologists from Warsaw University, and what we see now is only a small part of the luxurious antique villa. This hall was called the Reception Hall.

Mosaic panel with a geometric pattern

A pavilion has been erected around its priceless mosaics. In one section - mosaics with a geometric pattern,

in another section, with great skill, in small mosaics, with elaboration of details and shadows, six scenes are depicted.

On the left is the triumphal procession of Dionysus. On the right is the musical contest between Marsyas and Apollo.

Queen of Sparta Leda and Zeus

The walls of the villa were covered with frescoes depicting Apollo with the Muses. Some of them are exhibited in the Paphos Museum.

Next - Villa Theseus. Bridges have been laid over the remains of the villa.

Villa Theseus

Right under the open sky lies a magnificent mosaic depicting the fight between Theseus and the Minotaur.

In the center are the acting characters of this story: Theseus, who grabbed the Minotaur by the horn, a little to the side - Ariadne. The labyrinth of the Minotaur is depicted around the medallion.

Remains of a fountain

A tape of mosaic floors goes into the distance. Imagine the size of the villa.

And this, presumably, is the central hall of Theseus' villa with a fresco depicting the preparation of the newborn Achilles for the first bath. His mother, the goddess Thetis, dipped the child into the waters of the Styx to make him immortal. Only the heel, by which the child was held while bathing, remained vulnerable.

located near the sea. Its largest surviving mosaic depicts Orpheus playing the lyre surrounded by animals. Another panel depicts Hercules fighting a Nemean lion, which is why the villa is sometimes called the Villa of Hercules.

From the villa of Orpheus, columns have even been preserved

It feels like the winds here are serious

Plants unknown to me:

And we're heading to villa of Dionysus- a large covered building, which contains a large fragment of well-preserved mosaic floors.

Bridges are laid over the mosaics.

In addition to descriptions in Greek and English There are signs for the blind in Braille. We were, frankly, surprised.

Description of mosaics for the blind

A tape with hunting scenes runs along the perimeter of the villa.

The interior space of the villa is occupied by drawings with subjects and geometric patterns.

An amazing variety of patterns and inclusions. In the picture below, we even found a traffic light.

Part of the mosaics in the territory of the archaeological park is covered with a film and sprinkled with sand.

We decided that it was planned to build a canopy or a pavilion over them.

These sprinkled mosaics were guarded by an attentive mustachioed watchman:

Forty Columns Castle (Saranda Kolones)

From the villa of Dionysus we went to the castle of Forty Columns, or Saranta Colones. It is a square massive structure with double walls, surrounded by a moat.

The outer fortress had 8 towers. Behind the wall was a courtyard and the castle itself, already with 4 towers. The design resembles (the so-called "Donjon") in Norman Caen.

In both cases, little remains of the castles. Paphos Castle Forty Columns was originally built by the Byzantines. The Arabs captured and destroyed it. Subsequently, it was restored and strengthened several times, but after the devastating earthquake of 1222, they gave up and erected a port fortress on a narrow cape that closed the bay.

Among the ruins of the castle, gray granite columns stand out - it is because of them that the Byzantine castle was called the Forty Columns. These sturdy, representative columns are thought to have been borrowed from the agora.

granite columns

Agora and Odeon

Meanwhile, we are moving closer to the agora - the former shopping center ancient Paphos.

Agora is an absolute square and, apart from clearly visible outlines, nothing has been preserved here. We strain the imagination and imagine trading area with benches all around. We fill the square with ancient Greeks, and in the center, say, we put a fountain.

Agora, Odeon and Lighthouse

Immediately behind the agora rises a steep slope. It's a sin not to use it as an amphitheater. True, the theater turned out to be quite small, in other words, the Maly Theater, or Odeon. It has been renovated and is used for concerts.

Behind the Odeon you can see the youngest, but the most noticeable building of the archaeological park - the Paphos lighthouse. The lighthouse was erected by the British in 1888. From any place in the park, the lighthouse attracts the eye and serves as a guide.

View from the lighthouse towards the sea

View from the lighthouse towards the city

Quarries and basilicas

And we walk along the sea and find that grassy slope breaks off to the sea with a rocky wall. The rocks are dotted with caves, and, apparently, were used both for stone extraction and as temporary dwellings.

Blooming cyclomens

In 1962, a farmer, plowing rocky land on a tractor, accidentally stumbled upon a mosaic panel. This happened three hundred meters north of the old harbor of Paphos on a low plateau above the port. The excavations that began here revealed the remains of five Roman villas of the 3rd - 2nd century AD. The villas themselves have not been preserved, but unique floor mosaics have survived. In 1980, the archaeological sites of Kato Paphos were included by UNESCO in the list of world cultural heritage, which was the reason for the creation of the city. archaeological park, which will be the goal of our today's excursion.

Before you and I go on a tour, listen to "important information".

The park is located on open space and takes large area, so it will take quite a long time to walk on it. We highly recommend planning a visit either in the morning or in the afternoon. The sun fries mercilessly in the summer, so not only will it be very difficult to walk during the day, but you can also burn out. Take sunscreen, water, a good mood and ... a camera with you.

Those who live in the Paphos area know how to get here, but for the rest we will give GPS coordinates parking lot, which in its western part just rests on the entrance to the park.

34.756279 32.410184 - parking next to the harbor in Paphos

Well, it's time to start! From a parking space or bus stop Let's go to the entrance to the park.

In stories about Cyprus, we often use the services of an "audio guide". Today will be no exception. Let's listen to the introductory part that tells the story of the "origin" of Paphos. Oddly enough, the city of Paphos in Cyprus was located in different time V different places- it happens. Listen to the story for now, and we will give a small remark on this matter.

Palio Paphos ( old Paphos- Palio Paphos - Παλιά Πάφος) - very ancient Paphos, which was located seventeen kilometers from the present. Now this place is the village of Kouklia.
Neo Paphos (new Paphos - Neo Paphos - Νέα Πάφος) - ancient Paphos, located at the place where we arrived today.
Kato Paphos (lower Paphos - Kato Paphos - Κάτω Πάφος) is the coastal part of modern Paphos, "occupied" mainly by tourists.
Pano Paphos (upper Paphos - Pano Paphos - Πάνω Πάφος) − business center city, as well as the place of residence of the Pafovites themselves.
The division into "kato" and "pano" is generally conditional.

Let's first get acquainted with what we have to see today and along the way orient ourselves on the ground. As in Kourion, the names of the villas were given by the names of the heroes Greek mythology depicted on the mosaics, and not by the names of their owners. Today four villas − Dionysus, Theseus, Orpheus And Eona open for visiting. In addition to them, the ancient amphitheater (Odeon), the Agora (forum) and the ruins of the Forty Columns Castle (Saranda Kolones Castle) are also interesting.

Let's look at their location on the map.

We see that three villas are located closest to the entrance - directly in the direction from the entrance. But for some reason, "organized" tours usually start from the villa of Dionysus, which is located a little to the right. It is easy to distinguish - it is covered with a large canopy. You better decide on the spot where to go first. If you arrived early, then you can first explore open areas, and then move "under the roof". But we'll start with Dionysus.

Residence of Dionysus (Villa of Dionysus)

Can be used as background detailed story O dwelling of Dionysus and we will only give a brief summary.

Let's start the story with the most ancient mosaic, accidentally discovered here already during the construction of a canopy over the main exhibits. It is the oldest and dates back to the 4th century BC, that is, from the pre-Roman times of Cyprus. The mosaic depicts Scylla - a woman, a dog and a fish in one person. This is how Homer described it in his Odyssey. While the audio guide proves to us that Scylla (Skilla - according to the guide) was not always a monster, but at first she was quite a normal girl, we will consider the mosaic.

And now let's start examining more "modern" mosaics dating back to the beginning of our era. Many people know the story of the handsome Narcissus, who did not reciprocate to anyone. Even the nymph Echo could not attract his attention. As a result, the poor thing completely withered away, leaving only her own voice - an echo. Well, Narcissus was rewarded for this from the gods. Seeing somehow his reflection in the water, Narcissus could not take his eyes off his beloved, and died behind this occupation. As a result, the gods nevertheless took pity on him and posthumously turned the guy into a beautiful flower growing near the water - into a narcissus.

Next to Narcissus is another mosaic. The moment we were there, an English speaking tour came along. And their guide was such a big Negro ... well, or maybe an Afro-Cypriot. And so he, bending over the mosaic, asked those present a question - they say what is depicted on it? And everyone started playing the guessing game.

I also tried to guess until someone said four seasons, to which the guide said - right! Even then I thought, what does the Limassol hotel with the same name, fashionable among Russians, have to do with it? But having cut into the translation, I realized that we are talking about the seasons.

Starting from the top left corner, clockwise are summer, spring, autumn and winter. Well, the quest is passed, let's move on. In this house look and look. But we will now show one more photo and move on. And we will give a link to a more complete photo album at the end of the story.

Having seen enough of the mosaics in the house of Dionysus, we will move a little back, but not to the entrance, but a little to the right of it. There is a large space waiting for us there, on which several villas are presented at once: Eona, Theseus And Orpheus.

The first in the course will be the villa of Eon.

She, like Dionysus, is located in a sheltered room. This villa was just opposite the house of the then Roman proconsul. Probably quite noble was his neighbor, on whose territory we have now come. Here, excavations are still ongoing, but this can be judged from the available mosaics. Let's give the floor for explanation to our audio guide. True, the guide believes that we will move first to Orpheus, then Theseus and finally to Aeon ... but we will do exactly the opposite.

For our story, I will simply explain that it is here that filigree mosaics are located - they are made of very small pieces containing a large gamut of color shades, thanks to which the masters managed to achieve volume in the image of faces. Try to consider it when you are there. It is difficult to convey such nuances in the photo, but we will try.

The mosaics date back to the beginning of the 4th century AD. - the period of the spread of Christianity in Cyprus. Now let's look at one more of the mosaics and move on.

Further, as we move forward, we will meet the dwelling of Theseus. It is already in open space. It is assumed that this is where the Roman proconsul lived. It's time to remember that the Apostle Paul managed to convert Proconsul Sergius to the Christian faith in the 45th year. But this villa dates from a later period. Having reached its "outskirts" you can capture one of the most "postcard" views of Cyprus, which we have placed on our main page. Let's show almost the same view, but from a different angle. The plane in the frame reminds us that there is an airport near Paphos.

Yes, we almost forgot about our audio guide!

And now let's come to one of the main mosaics of the villa, on which Theseus is preparing to enter the battle with the Minotaur. Let us briefly recall this legend, described in Wikipedia.

Minotaur (Μῑνώταυρος, bull of Minos) - after Greek tradition, a monster with a human body and a bull's head, descended from the unnatural love of Pasiphae, the wife of King Minos, for the bull sent by Poseidon. According to legend, she seduced the bull by lying down in a wooden cow made for her by Daedalus. (ugh! - my note) Minos hid him in the Knossos labyrinth built by Daedalus, where 7 girls and 7 boys sent from Athens every nine years (or 7 children every year) rushed to devour him.
Theseus, having appeared in Crete among the 14 victims, killed the Minotaur and, with the help of Ariadne (the half-sister of the Minotaur - the daughter of Minos and Pasiphae), who gave him a ball of thread, left the labyrinth.

Having accomplished the feat, Theseus fled with Ariadne to the island of Naxos (Dia), where, according to one legend, Ariadne was killed by the arrows of Artemis, taught by Dionysus, for she married Theseus in a sacred grove, according to another, she was abandoned by Theseus and found by Dionysus, who on married her.

But the Cypriot guides prefer another legend, based on the story of Peon of Amaphunte, according to which Theseus left Ariadne in Cyprus, where she died during childbirth, and her grave was in the grove of Ariadne-Aphrodite, which is located just in Amaphunte. Sad story in general. By the way, why did I underline the word, guess? Amaphunta or Amathus is the name of one of the ancient city-states in Cyprus, through the ruins of which you can wander, reaching the eastern outskirts of Limassol. And Peon was from there, so he knows better!

Well, now, finally, we look at the mosaic dedicated to this significant event: Theseus' preparation for the fight with the Minotaur. The circle on the mosaic symbolizes the Labyrinth. Note that this mosaic is the oldest and dates back to the third century AD.

The following legend teaches us that we must not forget about promises, even if you have accomplished many feats.

Leaving for the battle with the Minotaur, Theseus raised black sails on his ship. But he agreed with his father, King Aegeus, that in case of victory he would return back on a ship with white sails. And after killing the Minotaur and saying goodbye to Ariadne, Theseus set off on his way back, forgetting to change the sails. King Aegeus, noticing a ship with black sails, was convinced of the death of his son and committed suicide by throwing himself into the sea. According to legend, that is why the sea was called the Aegean.

A little further away is another mosaic dedicated to the birth of the famous Achilles. Let the audio guide talk about it for now, and we will briefly recall another legend, now about Achilles.

Birth of Achilles:

Here is a short Wikipedia reference about Achilles and the versions about what his mother did to him in childhood.

Heroes were born from the marriages of the Olympian gods with mortals. They were endowed with great strength and superhuman abilities, but did not possess immortality. The heroes were supposed to fulfill the will of the gods on earth, to bring order and justice into people's lives. With the help of their divine parents, they performed all sorts of feats. Heroes were highly revered, legends about them were passed down from generation to generation.

Legends unanimously call Achilles the son of a mortal - Peleus, king of the Myrmidons, his mother, sea ​​goddess Thetis belongs to the host of immortals. The earliest versions of the birth of Achilles mention the furnace of Hephaestus, where Thetis, wanting to deify Achilles (and make him immortal), put her son, holding him by the heel. According to another ancient legend that Homer does not mention, the mother of Achilles, Thetis, wanting to test whether her son was mortal or immortal, wanted to dip the newborn Achilles in boiling water, just as she did with her former children, but Peleus opposed this. Later legends tell that Thetis, wanting to make her son immortal, plunged him into the waters of the Styx or, according to another version, into the fire, so that only the heel by which she held him remained vulnerable; hence the proverb that is still used today - "Achilles' heel" - to denote someone's weak side.

You can see the rest of the mosaics of Theseus' house for yourself or in extreme cases in our photo album, but for now let's move on ... but not far. A little closer to the sea is the villa of Orpheus.

Here you can also find several mosaics.

Saranda Colones castle

Leaving this place of three villas and go out again on the road that led us from the entrance to the park to the dwelling of Dionysus, which we visited in the first place.

We reach a fork. If we go to the left, then we will just get to Dionysus again, and if to the right, then according to the sign, the ruins of the castle of Forty Columns (Saranda colones) are waiting for us. We turn and go. After a little over two hundred meters, the territory on which this castle was located will open, and the remains of which we have to explore today.

The fortress was built in the 7th century by the Byzantines. For the construction of its walls, fragments of earlier ancient structures were used, including basalt columns - hence its name.

In 1191, this castle, like the port fortress, capitulated to Richard the Lionheart. At the beginning of the 13th century, the Crusaders fortified the fortress, but soon it was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1222. Only two graceful openwork arches and powerful cellars have survived, which can be used to judge the original layout of the castle.

The castle had the shape of a square at the base with a side length of 10 meters with square towers in each corner. The main entrance passed through the fifth tower on the east side, which was shaped like a horseshoe. Along the perimeter, the castle was surrounded by walls three meters thick with eight towers, and a moat ran around it, through which it was thrown wooden bridge to enter the fortress. Let's take a look at the plan of the fort and the photo taken from the air to get a better idea of ​​where we will be walking now.

Well, now you can leisurely wander around the castle and look at its hidden corners.

You will see the rest of the photos in our photo album, but for now let's move on.

Odeon and Agora

We return again to the road where we met the sign, and move in the direction where the inscription Odeon points. After two hundred and fifty meters we will approach the edge of the Agora. Actually, this is just a piece of land on which excavations are still underway. We had to withdraw to the edge of the square in order to capture them together.

Agora in those days was called market Square. And even now in Greek the word agora(αγορά) means a place of trade, for example "psaragora" (Ψαραγορά) is nothing but a "fish shop". And now let's come to the Odeon, or, in other words, to the ancient amphitheater.

The Odeon was built in the Hellenistic era from hewn blocks of limestone and rebuilt during the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus. Modern look he acquired in the III century. IN ancient times they had a roof that protected the spectators from the sun and rain.

Today the amphitheater has been partially restored. Half of the 25 rows of the amphitheater have been restored and a heavily damaged stage has been opened, near which many fragments of the columns that adorned it were found. During the summer months, like Kourion, musical and theatrical performances are regularly staged here in the open air. So you have a chance to visit the Odeon, which acts as a modern theater.

Near the Odeon are the ruins of the Asklepion, built at one time in honor of the god of healing Asclepius.

Well, this is the cognitive part of our tour is almost over. If you have strength left, you can reach the wall that once surrounded the city. We also came up.

You probably noticed that in the last pictures something loomed in your eyes. Yes, this is a Paphos lighthouse. Let's get closer, especially since you can climb a little on it to take a few pictures from the "top tour".

The lighthouse of Paphos is the youngest building in the area. It was built by the British "only" in 1888. The lighthouse helped ships navigate when entering the port of Paphos. This is one of the five lighthouses in Cyprus, but the most famous of them. The lighthouse tower has a height of 20 meters, plus it stands on a hill. Therefore, it turns out that the lantern itself shines at a height of 36 meters above sea level, which makes it very noticeable from the water. The lighthouse continues to perform its functions even today, flashing in the evening with an interval of 20 seconds.

Our walk in the park ends. Well, if it drags on until the evening, then you can watch very beautiful sunsets here! :)

Why go. If you've been to Pompeii or climbed the Acropolis, the Paphos Archaeological Park may seem unpretentious to you. But on the scale of Cyprus, this is the most important attraction, demonstrating the close, centuries-old cultural ties of the island with mainland Greece. The buildings and mosaics of the ancient era invariably evoke tourists big interest.

If anyone did not know, in Cyprus there is a left-hand traffic. Those. if you rent a car, you need to be on the alert all the time and try not to drive out of habit into the right lane, which is opposite on the island. If you still dare to rent a car, then for an excursion to the archaeological park of Paphos, parking is suitable, which occupies a vast space near the Kato bus station.

How to get. Access is open year-round, with the exception of a few religious holidays. IN high season, from mid-April to mid-September, the museum is open from 8:30 to 19:30, the rest of the time the staff locks the gates at 17:00. Entrance is paid, the ticket costs 4.50 euros. You can save money by buying complex ticket, allowing you to visit all the valuable sights of the island within one, three or seven days without additional costs. As we have seen, a weekly ticket is optimal. It costs 25 euros and if you visit only 6 museums, then all the following ones will be a nice bonus.

What to do. Take water, friends, a good mood and an umbrella with you (an umbrella is a must, during the day the Cypriot sun fries mercilessly, and there is nowhere to hide from it in the archaeological park), prepare for a few hours of walking and start the tour. From the very first steps, the Archaeological Park of Paphos sets people up for a meeting with the beautiful: the walls of the ticket offices are decorated with mosaics with scenes typical of the ancient era.

Nutrition. As I said, before going to the park you need to stock up on water. Food is not necessary, in the heat there is not much desire. You can eat near the entrance to the park, on the waterfront, where there are several restaurants specializing in Cypriot cuisine.

/ Archaeological Park of Kato Paphos

Archaeological Park of Kato Paphos

(Greek Κάτω Πάφος Αρχαιολογικό Πάρκο; English Kato Paphos Archaeological Park)

UNESCO site

Opening hours: daily, in winter time(from September 16th to April 15th) from 08.30 to 17.00, in summer time(from April 16th to September 15th) from 08.30 to 19.30.

How to get there: Kato Paphos stretched along coastline Paphos and built around the medieval port. Paphos Castle and the snow-white lighthouse will serve as landmarks. The main thing is not to miss the entrance and ticket offices, otherwise you will go far along the coast.

The Archaeological Park of Kato Paphos is an open-air archaeological museum near the harbor of Kato Paphos. There are always a lot of tourists here, and the purpose of such a close study is the local antique mosaics, perfectly preserved over the centuries.

The most famous mosaics are located in the so-called Villa of Dionysus, the ruins of the ancient mansion of a wealthy Paphos citizen dating back to Roman times. At the time of its existence, the mansion consisted of several floors and covered an area of ​​​​about 2,000 square meters. Naturally, this aristocrat was not called Dionysus, this place got its name because of one of the most beautiful mosaics discovered here, called "The Triumph of Dionysus".

Scheme of Kato Paphos

The most ancient mosaics of the Villa of Dionysus had a simple geometric pattern and were made of white, black and brown pebbles. Cut stones were used for later mosaics. The floor of the atrium is decorated with mosaics with hunting scenes. These plots came to Cyprus from the north; this may explain the presence of images of animals that have never been seen on the island. The mosaic hallmarks of the atrium are framed with ornamental belts.

The floor of the tablinum room - one of the largest in the house - is decorated with a rich mosaic carpet. From three sides central part The mosaics are bordered by a wide mosaic ribbon with an ornamental pattern in the form of grape stalks. In one of the corridors, a mosaic illustrates the myth of Phaedra and Hippolyte. Phaedra, wife of the Athenian king Theseus, fell in love with her husband's son from her first marriage, Hippolytus. In one of the rooms, the mosaic conveys the moment of the abduction of Ganymede by Zeus, who turned into an eagle. On the mosaic, Zeus appears as a huge eagle abducting a naked Ganymede.

The mosaic that gave its name to the entire villa is known as the "Triumph of Dionysus" - the god of winemaking is depicted on it sitting on a chariot drawn by two leopards. The mosaic also depicts other characters: such as the forest god Pan, Satyr, who is considered the retinue of Dionysus, and also the god of the rivers Silenus. It is also interesting to look at the mosaic of the Hellenistic era, called "Scylla", made of black and white pebbles. Scylla in ancient Greek mythology was a terrible sea monster and is depicted here with the heads of dogs and the tails of a dragon. Today, the mosaics are under a specially designed roof that protects them from bad weather and the hot Cypriot sun.

In addition to the most beautiful mosaics in the villa of Dionysus, during the excavations, many ancient objects were found, dating back both to the period of the Roman Empire and to the Hellenistic period. Coins, jewelry, kitchen utensils, dishes and some other household items were found, representing the most valuable historical artifacts.

On the territory of the archaeological park of Kato Paphos there are several more ruined villas of the rich nobility of the island, such as the villa of Theseus, the villa of Orpheus and the villa of Eon. The floor mosaics date back to the 3rd - 5th centuries AD. The names of the characters in the paintings are given on the Greek inscriptions placed next to the images. The most famous of the mosaics, dated to the 3rd century AD, depicts the duel between Theseus and the Minotaur.

In addition to numerous mosaics in Kato Paphos, the ruins of more impressive structures have been preserved. For example, the ruins of Saranta Kolones, a Byzantine fortress founded in the 7th century to protect the city and harbor of Paphos from Arab raids. The name of the fortress is associated with the many granite columns that dominated its appearance. The outer castle consisted of fortress walls three meters thick with four massive round towers in the corners, and the main fortress gates were located on the eastern side and had the shape of a horseshoe. In 1191, this fortress, like the port fortress, capitulated to Richard the Lionheart.

After the complete destruction of the fortress, the Crusaders did not rebuild Saranta Kolones. Instead, a new citadel was erected in the western part of the harbor, preserved in a rebuilt form to this day under the name of Paphos Castle.

It is very interesting to look at the Agora. Agora in those days was called the market square. Its construction dates back to the first half of the 2nd century AD.

You should definitely visit the Odeon. The Odeon was built in the Hellenistic era from hewn limestone blocks and rebuilt during the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus, and in ancient times it had a roof that protected the audience from the sun and rain. It acquired its modern form in the 3rd century AD.

Today, the Odeon has been partially restored. Half of the amphitheater has been restored and a heavily damaged stage has been opened, where now, in the summer months, musical and theatrical performances are regularly held in the open air.

There is a lighthouse next to the Odeon. The lighthouse of Paphos is the youngest building in the area. It was built by the British "only" in 1888.

If you are interested not only in the blue expanse of the sea and impeccable hotel service in Cyprus, but you are also interested in the history, culture and architecture of this island, then Kato Paphos is exactly what you need! The turbulent history of Cyprus and its stunning antique mosaics will not leave anyone indifferent.

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