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Aphrodite Rock
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This famous landmark is
located between Limassol and Paphos and is something not to be missed.
Cyprus is extremely proud of its ancient past and this includes the fact
that it is the birthplace of the
Greek Goddess Aphrodite who was the Goddess of love and beauty. Legend
has it that Aphrodite
emerged from the sea in a surge of amazing sea foam in 1200 BC at this
point and it is believed that
she herself choose Aphrodite’s rock as the ideal location to begin her
life as a mortal. |
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Birth of Aphrodite
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Legend has it that Aphrodite,
goddess of love and beauty, rose from the waves in this strikingly
beautiful spot. There are several versions of the story of the goddess's
birth, but the most famous is
that Aphrodite rose naked from the sea on a scallop shell. Blown by the
wind, Aphrodite's first stop
was on the island of Cythera, but this was such a tiny island that
Aphrodite kept moving and eventually
got to Cyprus, where she began living in Paphos. |
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Agio Paraskevi Church
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Geroskipou village, close to
Koloni
village, 3 km east of Paphos on the
airport road is where the local
shops make what is commonly known as "Turkish Delight" - called "Loukoumia"
by the Cypriot people.
Here is a unique Byzantine church dating to the 10th Century. It has
beautiful mural paintings dating
mainly to the 15th Century. It is one of the most unusual on the island
having five domes. The three
domes over the nave intersect with the two over the aisles to form a
cross.
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Pafos Castle |
Paphos castle is located in Kato Paphos at the
harbour. This castle was originally built to protect the
harbour and was a Byzantine fort. During the 13th century the castle was
rebuilt by the Lusignans. In
1570 however, the castle was once again destroyed by the Venetians who at
that time were unable to
protect the castle from the ongoing attacks by the Ottomans. The Ottomans
succeeded in gaining
access to Paphos and during the Ottoman rule the castle was once again
restored, expanded, and
strengthened to what it is today.
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Kolossi Castle Limassol
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According to tradition Richard
the Lionheart married Berengaria of Navarre and crowned her Queen of
England, here in 1191. The castle houses the Cyprus Mediaeval Museum and
is a fine example of
military architecture, originally constructed in the 13th century and
subsequently rebuilt in its present
form in the middle of the 15th century. After the
fall of Acre in 1291, it served as Grand Commandery
of the Knights of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. |
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Saranta Kolones |
Paphos is full of wonderful and exciting locations to visit
and among these is Saranta Kolones.
Saranta Kolones is the ruin of an ancient castle located just north of
Paphos harbour. When
translated Saranta Kolones actually means castle of the 40 columns which
is quite fitting considering
that the castle itself was originally built using 40 ancient granite
pillars. These pillars were probably
taken from Agora and were used in the structure of the castle.
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Akamas Peninsula
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The Akamas Peninsula is an area
of outstanding natural beauty - deep gorges, a wild landscape, wide
sandy bays. It is also an area of great biodiversity and ecological
significance. Home to 530 plant
species and ideal for walkers.
Located in the west of Cyprus, the
Akamas peninsula covers approximately 230 square km and is where you will
find wild untouched
landscape, amazing natural beauty, deep gorges and stunning sandy bays. |
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Paphos Mosaics |
Paphos Mosaics are considered to be the finest mosaic in
the Eastern Mediterranean, located
beside
the harbour.These striking mosaics are a must see and many
of them show scenes from Greek
Mythology. They date from the 2nd century through to the 5th century and many are still in
remarkable
condition. These mosaics would have originally been the floors of Roman noblesmen’s villas
and many
of these sites are still being excavated today.
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Tombs of the Kings
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Located only 2km
north-west of Paphos harbour these underground tombs are carved out of solid rock
and
are a sight to behold spreading out over a vast area of landscape. Many of these tombs date as far
back the the 4th century BC and are
thought to have been burial sites for high officials and aristocrats.
No Kings are actually buried here and
the name itself originates from the magnificence of the tombs. |
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