Archaeological open-air museum. Paphos Archaeological Park: description. Archaeological Open Air Museum Old Paphos Archaeological Park

Kato Paphos Archaeological Park is an open-air museum in Cyprus, included in all guidebooks and official excursions as a “must go”. Travelers come to see the ruins ancient city Nea Paphos and well-preserved ancient Roman mosaic panels, accidentally discovered in the early 1960s during agricultural plowing. Excavations and research into cultural layers continue to this day, while historical buildings are open to visitors all year round. Access is limited only on Easter, Christmas and New Year holidays.

Park opening hours vary depending on the time of year. From November to March: 8:00 - 17:00; April, May, September, October: 8:00 - 18:00; summer (June to August): 8:00 - 19:30. Entrance costs 4.5 euros, children under 16 years old are admitted free. Ticket office located on the harbor side.

The complex spreads over an area of ​​80 hectares, which is comparable in size to a dozen football fields. Even a cursory inspection of the main objects excursion route It will take 2-3 hours, so you should take care of comfortable shoes, and in the summer - hats, sunglasses and clothes that cover your shoulders. There are no trees growing on the vast territory, and there will be nowhere to hide from the scorching rays of the sun. At the entrance doors, do not forget to grab a map in Russian, which also indicates the location of the catacombs of St. Solomonia and the “Royal Tombs” located outside the park. To visit the necropolis you will need to buy separate ticket for 2.5 euros. Signposts make it easier to navigate the area.

Provided free toilets, benches and gazebos for relaxation, vending machines selling snacks, chocolate, cola and bottled drinking water. Near the buildings there are information stands with descriptions of attractions in English and Greek, some of the text is duplicated in Braille.

Observation platforms with galleries allow you to take panoramic pictures and appreciate the scale of New Paphos from above. The layout of neighborhoods with systems of water and sewer pipes indicates a developed urban infrastructure.

Before your independent visit, it would be a good idea to download the audio guide. Those who are new to history and mythology should not neglect the services of a guide, since without appropriate explanations, the monument of world culture will seem like a pile of stones. Ready-made excursions with transfer are offered at all hotels and travel agencies.

Attractions

The park museum, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, includes buildings from different eras and civilizations: Hellas and Ancient Rome, Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire. The ancient Germanic tribes, the Franks, and the crusaders of the early Middle Ages also left their mark.

Tourists can see acropolis with agora (market square), columns and wall fragments Temple of Asclepius, theater, Saranta Colones castle and mosaics in 4 villas of wealthy citizens: these are the houses of Dionysus, Theseus, Eon and Orpheus. The names are given after the names of the main characters of mythological scenes depicted on the floor mosaic canvases. The oldest of the artifacts dates back to the 4th century. BC e. and depicts Scylla, a monster from the Greek epic described in Homer's Odyssey.

Pebbles, marble and colored glass were used to create designs and ornaments. The filigree work of the masters is amazing. Fine detailing and harmonious color combinations give the faces of the gods spatial volume and expressiveness. In addition to compositions on the theme of myths and legends, there are also scenes from everyday life. Found examples of decorative art indicate how much attention was paid to beauty and aesthetics in the interior design of public places and residential premises.

The Odeon, built by the Hellenes and remodeled during the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus, served as a venue for theatrical performances. The roof protected the public from the sun and precipitation. At the moment, the stage and half of the rows of the amphitheater have been restored, where spectators once again gather. During the high season, plays are staged, music and dance groups perform, concerts and festivals are held.

From the Basilica of Panagia Limeniotissa, only fragments of foundation slabs, columns and mosaic floors with geometric patterns have survived. You can also go down to the quarries, where limestone was mined for centuries, and the corridors and caves carved into the dungeons then served as a refuge for the first Christians who were persecuted.

The dominant feature of the park is a 20 m high working lighthouse, built by the British in 1888 on a hill for the safe mooring of British merchant ships and warships. IN dark time day, the spotlight on the white tower gives light signals every 15 seconds.

How to get to Kato Paphos

There is no railway service on the island, but the bus network is well developed. The fare costs 2 euros, the ticket can be purchased from the driver. The stop you need is called Kato Paphos, this is the central city bus station. The closest beach to the archaeological complex, Alykes, is about a kilometer away on foot.

The main bus route in Paphos is number 615, it runs from Geroskipou Public Beach along the picturesque coastline to Coral Bay Beach. The service interval is approximately 15 minutes, and the transport runs from 6:00 am to midnight. From the tourism sector you can also get there by buses No. 603, 611, 631.

The Karavella Station bus station, which serves intercity flights, is 3 km from the park. Upon arrival from Nicosia, Larnaca or Limassol, you need to change to routes No. 610 or No. 618. From the airport there is bus No. 612, from the city center - bus No. 610.

Motorists who rent a car can take advantage of free parking.

Useful for quick and comfortable movements mobile applications calling a taxi: Taxidi, nTAXI, IGOGO (available in Russian, it is better to authorize using a local SIM card). There are no international aggregators like Uber in Cyprus.

Paphos Archaeological Park: video

Why go? If you have been to Pompeii or climbed the Acropolis, the Paphos Archaeological Park may seem simple 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 arouse great interest among tourists.

How to get there. Next to the park is the Paphos bus station, but this, unfortunately, is not the bus station where intercity flights arrive. That one, Paphos Caravella, is 3 kilometers to the northeast. Therefore, when arriving from Nicosia, Larnaca or Limassol, you need to transfer to bus routes 610 or 618. For those coming from the Coral Bay area, where Russian tourists like to relax, it’s easier: bus commuter service 615 will take them to the Paphos Kato bus station, from which it is very close to the entrance to the Archaeological Park.

If anyone didn’t know, in Cyprus you drive on the left. Those. If you rent a car, you need to be on alert all the time and try not to habitually drive into the right lane, which is the oncoming lane on the island. If you still take the risk of renting a car, then for an excursion to the Paphos Archaeological Park, the parking lot, which occupies a vast space near the Kato bus station, is suitable.

How to get. Access is open all year round, with the exception of a few religious holidays. During the high season, from mid-April to mid-September, the museum is open from 8:30 to 19:30, otherwise the gates are locked at 17:00. Admission is paid, the ticket costs 4.50 euros. There is an opportunity to save money if you buy a comprehensive ticket, which allows you to visit all the valuable attractions of the island within one, three or seven days without additional expenses. As we have seen, a weekly ticket is optimal. It costs 25 euros and if you visit only 6 museums, then all the next ones will be a pleasant 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 burns mercilessly, and there is nowhere to hide from it in the archaeological park), prepare for several hours of walking and start the excursion. From the very first steps, the Paphos Archaeological Park prepares people to encounter beauty: the walls of the ticket offices are decorated with mosaics with scenes typical of the ancient era.


Mosaic decorating the wall of the ticket office pavilion. The area of ​​the park is about 80 hectares, which is approximately 100 football stadiums. Fortunately, it is not necessary to plow the entire vast space with your feet; it is enough to visit several of the most valuable sites, including the villas of Dionysus, Theseus and Aeon, where mosaics created two thousand years ago are preserved. Also of interest are the Roman forum, a small theater and former temple Asclepius.

The theater building is perfectly preserved. The excursion would have been more exciting if we had chosen the right time for it. In my opinion, in summer it is better to visit the Paphos Archaeological Park either in the morning or in the late afternoon. During the day the heat is simply murderous. I was especially indignant about this, since I was torn away from enjoying the beach, and tried to spoil the mood of others by comparing what I saw with Pompeii. Like, in Pompeii the amphitheater is much more spacious, in Pompeii the territory is larger, in Pompeii the mosaics are more beautiful. My friends then just started poking fun at me, and they were right: the mosaics in Paphos are pretty darn good, to be honest. Overall, I liked the park, but the terrible heat put pressure on my psyche. Don't repeat our mistake and don't go on an excursion at a time when the earth seems to be melting.

Nutrition. As I already said, before going to the park you need to stock up on water. It’s not necessary to eat; you don’t really want to eat in the heat. You can eat near the entrance to the park, on the embankment, where there are several restaurants specializing in Cypriot cuisine.

Paphos Archaeological Park (Αρχαιoλογικό Πάρκο Πάφου/Paphos Archaeological Park) is one of the most important attractions of Paphos, which is an open-air excavation of objects from several eras in the Kato Paphos area, near the Harbor and.

Complex Archaeological Park includes: the ruins of the Castle of the Forty Columns, four villas (House of Dionysus, House of Aeon, House of Theseus and House of Orpheus), in which mosaic floors have been preserved, as well as an agora, odeon, asklepion and the most recent construction of the park - a lighthouse. Excavations in the park are still ongoing.

In 1980, the entire area of ​​"Old" Paphos, which includes the archaeological park, was included in the List world heritage UNESCO for its outstanding ancient remains.

Entrance to Paphos Archaeological Park

The central entrance to the complex is located near the Harbor, near the Harbor bus station. Walking along the embankments of Kato Paphos, it is simply impossible to pass by this impressive park.

The entire park complex is surrounded by a fence (chain-link mesh); on the north-eastern side there was a hole in the fence, through which you can also get into the park completely free of charge.

Main entrance to the complex

The cash register is also located here. Ticket prices: 4.50 Euro - adult, 2.25 Euro - people over 65 years old. There are toilets near the entrance. Park opening hours: from 08:30 to 19:30, ticket sales until 19:00.

At the entrance you are given a map of the archaeological monuments of Kato Paphos, on which, among other things, the objects of the Archaeological Park are marked.

Time required to visit the park- at least 2 hours, ideally around 3-4 hours.

Objects of the Paphos Archaeological Park

Entering the park, a vast open area opens up before us and a staircase leading up.

After climbing the stairs, you find yourself near the visitor service center. The center sells souvenirs, and you can also watch on the screen documentary about archaeological excavations.

The paths in the park are mostly covered with small stones; you will need comfortable shoes. There is very little shade in the park, so on a hot sunny day it is better to take a hat and a supply of drinking water with you, wear closed clothing or apply sunscreen liberally to exposed areas of the body. Water in the park is sold only in one place, in vending machines near the house of Dionysus, at a price of 0.50 Euro per bottle. Here you can buy chocolates, chips and other snacks from vending machines. Chocolate bar - 1 Euro, chips, croissants and cookies - 1.50 Euro each.

House of Eon

From information center, walking through the park, we get to the House of Aion, part of which is located indoors. It was once a fairly large villa, but currently only three rooms have been excavated.

In the building you can see the central part of the house, which apparently served as a kind of dining-living room. In this place, the mosaic floor is made in the form of drawings with scenes from ancient legends and tales.

It is the floor from the House of Aeon that is considered one of the most exceptional works of ancient Roman art, if not the only work of its kind in Paphos. This house dates back to approximately the mid-4th century AD. and is named after the god shown in the middle of the mosaic - "House of Aeon".

The two smaller rooms had geometric mosaics with simpler patterns.

Also in the house of Eon is part of the restored wall of the villa.

House of Theseus

Near the House of Aeon there are the remains of the House of Theseus - the largest of the houses in the Archaeological Park.

The House of Theseus was built in the second half of the 2nd century over the ruins of earlier houses and was used until the 7th century.

Apparently, this villa was once the residence of the Roman proconsul. In the center of the building there was a courtyard, on four sides of which there were rooms, some of which were intended for official functions, and others for private use and auxiliary visits.

So far, only the southern half of the villa has been fully excavated, where remains of walls and columns, as well as mosaics, can be seen.

The most striking part of Theseus's house are the remains of the so-called 36th room, on the floor of which you can see floor mosaics, presumably from the 3rd-4th centuries. It was thanks to the drawings of this mosaic, depicting Theseus and the Minotaur, that the villa received its name - “House of Theseus”.

Remains of the mosaic of room No. 40

Part of the mosaic of room No. 76

House of Orpheus

The ruins of the house of Theseus are bordered by the ruins of the house of Orpheus.

The House of Orpheus dates back to the 2nd-3rd centuries. This is perhaps by far the most inconspicuous of the houses in the park, since only small sections of the remains of walls and stones can be seen in the house.

As sources “say”, in the House of Orpheus there are mosaics from the third century AD that have three mythological representations: “Orpheus and his Lyre”, “Hercules and the Lion Nemean” and “Amazon”, but they are not currently visible to the public.

House of Dionysus

From the house of Orpheus we walk along the paths and come out onto the alley leading to the house of Dionysus.

In a small stone building, to the right of the closed part of the house of Dionysus, there are vending machines selling drinks and snacks.

Part of the remains of the House of Dionysos is in the open air, while the other and most valuable, the one with the most mosaics, is closed to the public. The house is believed to have been built in the late 2nd century and was destroyed and abandoned after the earthquakes of the 4th century AD.

In the indoor area of ​​the House of Dionysus one can see mosaic floors, presumably from the 2nd-3rd centuries, decorated with mythological, vintage and hunting scenes. The house is named after the god Dionysus, who is depicted in several mosaics.

Photo of the remains of the house of Dionysus, located in the open air

Paphos Lighthouse

Moving north from the house of Dionysus, we come to the most recent and restored attraction of the park - the Paphos lighthouse.

Near the lighthouse there is a small Observation deck, which offers views of the Mediterranean Sea, the same name and the surrounding area.

Odeon and Asklepion

Near the lighthouse, a little to the east, there are the remains of the Odeon - a second-century amphitheater, next to which there are also the remains of the Temple of Asklepios (Asklepion) - essentially a former medical hospital.

Agora

Opposite the odeon and asclepius, there is a deserted area with some remains - this appears to be the central part of the Agora or Forum of Nea Paphos - a large town square, rectangular in shape and lined with stone slabs.

The area of ​​the Paphos Archaeological Park behind the lighthouse

Behind the lighthouse, to the north of it, there is a vast territory of the park, where excavations are underway and the remains of underground complex and early Christian basilica. Unfortunately, the ruins behind the lighthouse have no identification marks and it is very difficult to understand what they are.

Castle of Forty Columns

From the ruins of the northern part of the park we make our way to the last of the objects - the ruined Castle of Forty Columns.

Saranta Colones Castle or Castle Saranta Colones is believed to have been erected in the late 7th century as a Byzantine fort to protect the port and town of Nea Paphos from Arab raids, and then, after the Frankish conquest of Cyprus, somewhere in In the 1200s it was rebuilt as a Lusignan castle, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1223 and was never rebuilt.

The building was a compact fortress surrounded by a massive outer solid wall with eight towers and a moat surrounding the castle. Access to the castle was possible through wooden bridge, passing over the ditch.

The name of the castle "Forty Columns" comes from the large number of granite columns that were found in this place, they were probably once part of the ancient agora.

Who is looking for discounts on multiple booking systems

No one can say how many secrets are hidden under the soil and sand deposited over centuries. Usually discoveries and discoveries are made by accident. This is how a farmer in Cyprus came across a mosaic panel while plowing the land. This happened in 1962 near Paphos harbor. Thanks to this discovery and subsequent excavations, the Paphos Archaeological Park appeared in Cyprus.

What do the excavations tell us?

It is not surprising that the excavations that began at the site of the found mosaic gradually revealed, layer by layer, new, interesting traces of civilizations that once lived on this island. The history of Cyprus is very interesting. It was once owned by the Greeks and Romans. Then history speaks of the Byzantine ownership of Paphos, and then Ottoman Empire. Great Britain also owned the island. Excavations continue to this day. During the construction of objects, there is always some artifact from ancient buildings.

The discovered ancient mosaic attracted the attention of many scientists and archaeologists. For 20 years, archaeological expeditions from different countries They collected bit by bit a unique coating, made, as it turned out, in the richest villas of the 2nd - 3rd centuries AD. It is striking that the mosaic has not lost its flavor. In addition to mosaics and ancient buildings, temples, city walls, a bridge, basilicas, and stone streets were literally “dug” out of the soil.

Archaeological Park

Everything found during the excavations is a large single complex, which is called the Paphos Archaeological Park. Since 1980, the park has been a world cultural heritage and is protected by UNESCO. The valuable mosaics discovered first are in the so-called villas of Dionysus, Aeon, Theseus and Orpheus. Tourists can visit them.

The villas were named after the heroes of Greek mythology depicted on the mosaic fields; of course, no one knows the names of the real owners of the villas. Of interest are the amphitheater, well preserved in the layers of soil, and the ruins of the Forty Columns castle, which served as a fortress. The forum, the temple of the healing god Asclepius and the basilica are open to the public.

Tours of the park

The historical complex is open to tourists all year round. The entrance fee is about 4-5 euros. Sites where excavations are still underway are closed to the public. There are people who like to wander around the park without a group, sit on the steps of the amphitheater, and imagine what happened here many millennia ago. And there is more time to look at the relics and take photographs. It usually takes at least four hours to visit the park.

For organized groups of tourists, excursions are conducted with a guide, who, while leading the group through the streets of this archaeological site, tells historical facts and myths associated with one or another artifact of the park. Tours start from the ruins of four villas, which are the most valuable in the Paphos Archaeological Park, and date back to approximately the 3rd - 5th centuries AD. e. The mosaics, assembled from small elements, found during excavations of these villas preserved images of the gods and heroes of Greece and Ancient Rome.

Villa of Dionysus

As a result of excavations, archaeologists were presented with a picture of a dwelling with destroyed walls, but a well-preserved mosaic floor covering. It was assumed that the Villa of Dionysus, located in the archaeological museum, occupied an area of ​​about 500 square meters. meters and had forty rooms. It later turned out that this villa was built on the foundations of an even more ancient dwelling, which also had floor mosaics. The building dates back to the 2nd century AD. e. Unfortunately, the Villa of Dionysus and other buildings in Paphos were destroyed by an earthquake that occurred in the 4th century.

Mosaic floor technology

You should pay attention to mosaics, created initially from simple stone with a simple geometric pattern in a three-color scheme: black, brown, white. Then the mosaics became more complex. The technology for making mosaic floors has changed. They were laid out using a special technology on stones with lime. On this “pillow” were placed patterns and paintings made from the smallest pebbles, special glass and marble chips, which were brought to Cyprus. It was a very expensive product. Only very rich people could afford the luxury of a mosaic floor.

Immediately at the entrance to the home, the floor is decorated with one of the ancient mosaics of Cyprus. It depicts Scylla, described in Homer's poem "The Odyssey". There is a pair of dolphins nearby. Geometric pattern in three colors. By the way, the mosaic was discovered by accident when they began to erect a canopy over the main exhibits found by that time.

In the back of the dwelling of the Paphos Archaeological Park there are later mosaic floors. Here is a different approach to the color scheme of the mosaics being laid out. On one of the mosaics there is an image of Narcissus, framed by laid out drawings of the seasons and seasons. Mosaics of hunting scenes, images of animals, and bunches of grapes appear before visitors in the form of carpets. Mosaics on the themes of love stories were very accurately conveyed by artists of those times.

Villa of Theseus

From mythology we are familiar with the feat of Theseus, who defeated the Minotaur in the labyrinth. The villa named after him is a huge building. During the earthquake it did not survive, but was rebuilt. However, the villa was destroyed by the Arabs in the 7th century.

In mosaics made before the earthquake, Roman technologies for making mosaic floors are visible. One of the mosaics in the archaeological park depicts a scene in which Theseus fights the Minotaur. The mosaic dates back to the 3rd century AD. e.

Around this mosaic, the guides tell a touching story about not forgetting your promises. And Theseus, having killed the Minotaur, forgot to change the sails on his ship to white ones, thereby announcing his victory to his father. He sailed home under black sails. And when Theseus’ father Aegeus saw the black sails, he realized that his son had died and his father had thrown himself off a cliff into the sea, taking his own life. According to this legend, the sea is named Aegean - Aegean.

House of Orpheus

Even before the excavations began, these ruins of Paphos were already known. Many artifacts have sunk into oblivion, and some of the stone ruins were used to build houses, since in those years no one thought about the historical value of these ruins. The outlines of several rooms have been preserved. Those mosaics that were on the floors date back to the 2nd century AD. e. The drawings are geometric and from the ancient Greek inscriptions on the mosaic it was possible to understand that this house belonged to the Roman subject Titus Gaius Restitutus. However, the house is named, like the previous ones, after the main image on the mosaic. It was Orpheus playing the lyre surrounded by forest animals.

Villa Eona

On the other side of the street there is an equally interesting dwelling located in a sheltered room, the excavations of which are still ongoing. But even what is open to view speaks of his wealth. On the destroyed remains of the walls, visible unique frescoes. The floors are covered with mosaics. But what is most striking is the covering of the central part of the home. It depicts the god of justice Eon.

This filigree work is made from tiny pieces of glass, granite and pebbles. It conveys volume in the depiction of faces on mosaic canvases. Other mosaics depict mythological scenes about Cassiopeia, Apollo and Zeus. The mosaics date back to the 4th century AD. e. It is expected that ongoing excavations will also reveal mosaic floors and wall frescoes.

Castle of Forty Columns

The majestic castle of Saranta Kolones was built by the Byzantines in the 7th century on forty basalt columns as a defensive structure. It was destined to be built and destroyed, reborn and destroyed again.

When the crusaders captured the fortress in 1191, King Richard the Lionheart not only rebuilt the castle, but also created a good defensive complex around it. Destructive earthquake 1222 destroyed this fortress. Visitors can see among the ruins of the once existing castle of Saranta Kolones, broken walls, ruins of buildings and an arch from the gate leading to the castle.

Other park facilities

Agora or market Square, made of stone slabs in the form of a rectangle. Its construction dates back to the 2nd century AD. e. Like any square in the city, this one in Paphos was a meeting and trading place for the townspeople. It was destroyed, like all buildings, as a result of an earthquake in the 4th century. The amphitheater was also damaged during the earthquake. But it was restored: literally made from stone blocks found during excavations, belonging to the rows of the amphitheater. The open-air amphitheater is currently operating. Of the 25 rows that once existed, 11 have been repaired and restored. Here, according to the stories of the guides, performances of ancient Greek tragedies are staged.

The Temple of Asclepius is interesting for visitors. This is a complex of several buildings built in the 2nd century BC. e. These buildings were used to heal people. And the main building of Asklepion is a prototype of modern hospitals. A steep slope leading to the sea, all in stone caves. Once upon a time, stone was taken from them for construction.

And this is also Pathos

What else should tourists see in this historical city with a centuries-old history? There's a big one here ethnographical museum with a variety of collections, it was founded by a man who was interested in folk art, history, and archeology - Eliades George. The museum exhibits exhibits ranging from the Neolithic to the present day. It can rightfully be called one of the archaeological museums of Cyprus.

One of the attractions of Paphos is the Byzantine Museum. Bishop Chrysostomos initiated its creation. The museum's exposition includes icons from the 7th-8th centuries; there are also icons painted in the 12th-14th centuries. All icons are in good condition. The museum displays the ceremonial robes of priests. A large collection of church books is also on display in this museum.

There is a lot to see in Paphos outside the museums. These are burial grounds from the 4th century BC located near the Paphos harbor. e. and until the 3rd century AD. e. There are more than 100 burials in the crypts carved into the rock. There are also burials - in which many interesting artifacts were found. And this is, first of all, evidence of the life and way of life of the people who lived here.

To see all these attractions, you can purchase a tourist voucher and fly Moscow - Paphos to international Airport Pathos. By the way, if you are drawn to Cyprus to wander through the ruins of ancient cities, it is better to go to the homeland of Aphrodite from November to April. Firstly, it's not hot, and secondly, you will actually enjoy the nature of these fabulous places, and not languish from the heat. Airplane tickets Moscow - Paphos are almost always available.

In 1962, a farmer, plowing rocky ground on a tractor, accidentally came across a mosaic panel. This happened three hundred meters north of the old harbor of Paphos on a low plateau located above the port. The excavations that began here discovered the remains of five Roman villas of the 3rd - 2nd centuries AD. The villas themselves have not survived, but the unique floor mosaics have survived. In 1980, the archaeological sites of Kato Paphos were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. 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 we go on a tour, listen to the “important information”.

The park is located on open place and occupies a large area, so you will have to walk along it for quite a long time. We highly recommend planning a visit either in the morning or in the afternoon. The sun burns mercilessly in the summer, so not only will it be very difficult to walk during the day, but you can also get burned. Take sunscreen, water, a good mood and... a camera.

Those living in the Paphos area know how to get here, but for the rest we will give GPS coordinates parking lot, whose western part just abuts the entrance to the park.

34.756400 32.410000 – parking near the harbor in Paphos

Well, it's time to start! From the parking place or bus stop Let's approach the entrance to the park.

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

Introduction(listen or download): MP3

Palio Paphos (old Paphos - Palio Paphos - Παλιά Πάφος) is a very ancient Paphos, which was located seventeen kilometers from the present one. Nowadays the village of Kouklia is located on this site.
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) is the business center of the city, as well as the place of residence of the Pafov residents themselves.
The division into “kato” and “pano” is generally conditional.

Let's first get acquainted with what we have to see today and at the same time get our bearings on the area. As in Kourion, the names of the villas were given by the names of the heroes of Greek mythology depicted in the mosaics, and not by the names of their owners. Today there are four villas − Dionysus, Theseus, Orpheus And Eona are open to the public. In addition to them, the ancient amphitheater (Odeon), Agora (forum) and the ruins of the castle "Forty Columns" (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 - straight in the direction from the entrance. But for some reason, “organized” excursions 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 arrive early, you can first explore the open areas, and then move “under the roof”. But let's start with Dionysus.

Dwelling of Dionysus (Villa of Dionysus)

You can include a detailed story about home of Dionysus, and we will give only brief information.

Dwelling of Dionysus(listen or download): MP3

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

Now let’s begin 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 anyone. Even the nymph Echo could not attract his attention. As a result, the poor thing completely withered away, leaving only her voice - an echo. Well, Narcissus was rewarded for this by the gods. Having somehow seen his reflection in the water, Narcissus could not take his eyes off his beloved self, and died doing this. As a result, the gods still took pity on him and posthumously turned the guy into a beautiful flower growing near the water - a narcissus.

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

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

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

Having looked at 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. A large space awaits us there, on which several villas are presented at once: Eona, Theseus And Orpheus.

The first along the route will be Eon's villa.

She, like Dionysus, is located in a sheltered room. This villa was located just opposite the house of the then Roman proconsul. Probably his neighbor, whose territory we have now arrived at, was also quite noble. Excavations here are still ongoing, but one can judge this from the available mosaics. Let's give the floor to our audio guide to explain. True, the guide believes that we will move first to Orpheus, then to Theseus and finally to Aeon... but we will do exactly the opposite.

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

The mosaics date back to the early 4th century AD. − the period of the spread of Christianity in Cyprus. Let's look now at another one of the mosaics and move on.

Further, as we move, we will meet Theseus’s dwelling. 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 1945. 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!

Now let’s come to one of the main mosaics of the villa, where Theseus is preparing to enter into battle with the Minotaur. Let us briefly recall this legend described in Wikipedia.

The Minotaur (Μῑνώταυρος, the bull of Minos) - according to Greek legend, a monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull, which came 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 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) were thrown to him to be devoured.
Theseus, having appeared on Crete among 14 victims, killed the Minotaur and, with the help of Ariadne (the Minotaur's half-sister - 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 married her.

But Cypriot guides prefer another legend, based on the story of Paeon of Amafunt, 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 in Amathunt. A sad story overall. By the way, why did I underline the word, can you guess? Amafunta or Amathus is the name of one of the ancient city-states in Cyprus, the ruins of which can be wandered upon reaching the eastern outskirts of Limassol. And Peon was from there, so he knew 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 so, having killed the Minotaur and said goodbye to Ariadne, Theseus set off on the return journey, forgetting to change the sails. King Aegeus, noticing a ship with black sails, became convinced of the death of his son and committed suicide by throwing himself into the sea. According to legend, this is why the sea received the name Aegean.

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

Birth of Achilles(listen or download): MP3

Let's give a short Wikipedia information about Achilles and the versions of what his mother did to him in childhood.

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

The legends unanimously call Achilles the son of a mortal - Peleus, king of the Myrmidons, while his mother, the sea goddess Thetis, belongs to the host of immortals. The earliest versions of the birth of Achilles mention the oven of Hephaestus, where Thetis, wanting to deify Achilles (and make him immortal), laid her son, holding his heel. According to another ancient legend, which Homer does not mention, Achilles’ mother, Thetis, wanting to test whether her son was mortal or immortal, wanted to plunge the newborn Achilles into boiling water, just as she did with her previous 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 fire, so that only the heel by which she held him remained vulnerable; hence the proverb still used today - “Achilles' heel” - to denote someone's weakness.

You can look at the rest of the mosaics of the House of Theseus for yourself, or at least in our photo album, but for now let’s move on... but not far. A little closer to the sea is the Villa Orpheus.

Here you can also find several mosaics.

Saranda Colones castle

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

We reach a fork. If we go to the left, then we will get right to Dionysus again, and if to the right, then according to the sign, the ruins of the castle of the Forty Columns (Saranda colones) await us. We turn and go. After a little over two hundred meters, the territory where 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. To build 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 strengthened the fortress, but soon it was almost completely destroyed by the earthquake of 1222. Only two graceful openwork arches and powerful basements have survived, from which one can judge the original layout of the castle.

The castle had a square base with a side length of just over 10 meters with square towers in each corner. The main entrance was through the fifth tower on the east side, which was shaped like a horseshoe. Along the perimeter, the castle was surrounded by three-meter-thick walls with eight towers, and around there was a moat, across which a wooden bridge was thrown for access to the fortress. Let's take a look at the plan of the fortress and at a photo taken from the air to better imagine 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 Odeon sign points. In 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 move to the edge of the square to capture them together.

Agora in those days was the name of the market square. Even now in Greek the word agora(αγορά) means a place of trade, for example "psaragora" (Ψαραγορά) is nothing more than a "fish shop". Now let’s approach the Odeon or, in other words, 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 it in the 3rd century. In ancient times, they had a roof that protected spectators from the sun and rain.

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

Near the Odeon there are the ruins of the asklepion, erected in due time in honor of the god of healing Asclepius.

Well, this is where the educational part of our excursion is almost over. If you have any strength left, you can walk to the wall that once surrounded the city. We came too.

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

Paphos Lighthouse is the youngest building in this 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 of Cyprus, but the most famous of them. The lighthouse tower is 20 meters high, and besides, 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 visible from the water. The lighthouse continues to perform its functions today, flashing in the evening at intervals of 20 seconds.

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

 

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