In this post I drive from Limassol to Paphos in Cyprus via: Episkopi Cliffs, Pissouri Beach, Cape Aspro. I then visited Older Paphos: Old Town and Tombs of the Kings. The following morning I visited the Paphos Archaeological Site in Paphos and then in the afternoon I drove back to Aphrodite's Rock and the Archaeological Site of Palaepaphos.
Today I began the day with a HALOUMITOPITA – this is a thick bread-like pastry with haloumi cheese in it – the most famous cheese in Cyprus and known around the world !!!
The Haloumitopita was not enough to save a crap day - weather wise. Today was only the second day of rain since my entire 30C+ always hot and sunny journey through Lebanon (2 weeks), Syria (1 week) and Iraq (2 weeks). The morning was OK and enabled me to take great shots of the Episkopi Cliffs and Pissouri Beach. The drive along the coast between Limassol and Paphos is terrific but not in rain. Episkopi is actually a village on top of a spur overlooking the ocean with huge cliffs leading to the water. Episkopi is home to a huge British Army Base. It is also a popular spot for paragliding. Simply stunning as you will see. Pissouri Beach is like Malibu – seriously big mansions right on the water. Here the clouds really closed in and the lightning and thunder started to roll just like a director shouting “action” on a film set. That gave me enough time to sprint drive and run trek to Cape Aspro where I was greeting by huge deep blue-grey clouds, lighting and a rising wind. I snapped away and ran back only to just make it – it started to pour and pour. I prefer closing bad weather as long as there is some sun because it makes for some spectacularly spooky photos – I think my best ones so far were shot at Episkopi Cliffs and Cape Aspro as the thunder and lightning started to surround me !!!
Visibility was poor and I had to travel at 70km/h on the road shoulder with hazards on so quicker traffic could see me. There was no way to visit Aphrodite’s Rocks or the Archaeological Site of Palaepaphos, which were both on the way to Paphos. I resolved to drive to Paphos and visit a few things there hoping the rain would ease by the time I arrived and buy me some time tomorrow so I could drive back here assuming the weather would be better tomorrow.
It worked. Partially. I arrived in Paphos and headed for the Old Town. The rain would stop, sun would stare out and then it would start raining again – this was cyclic so I timed it well. Visited the Old Town Hall, School and Library in non-rain and by the time I got back to the car it started raining again. It was like little hurricanes coming by every 30min with the eye of the storm having good enough non-rain conditions to take photos and film.
Paphos (Pop 90,200, Elev 75m, Founded 700BC) is the nicest city so far, even in the rain. Archaeology shows that Old Paphos has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. It was a centre for Aphrodite's cult. Aphrodite's mythical birthplace was on the island. The founding myth is interwoven with the goddess such that Old Paphos became the most famous and important place for worshipping Aphrodite in the ancient world. Paphos is UNSECSO protected because it contains a huge archaeological area that is dedicated to Aphrodite worshipped here by both ancient Greeks and Romans. The most significant remains so far discovered are four large and elaborate Roman villas: the House of Dionysos, the House of Orpheus, the House of Aion and the House of Theseus, all with preserved mosaic floors. In addition, excavations have uncovered an Agora, Asklepion, the Basilica of Panagia Limeniotissa, a theatre, and a necropolis known as the Tombs of the Kings.
I managed to visit the Tombs of the Kings in between the rain storms – I had to sit one out in Tomb 8 !!! The underground tombs, many of which date back to the 4th century BC, are carved out of solid rock, and are thought to have been the burial sites of Paphitic aristocrats and high officials up to the third century AD - the name comes from the magnificence of the tombs; no kings were in fact buried here. Some of the tombs feature Doric columns and frescoed walls. Ironically the dark ominous clouds helped here to set the right mood and look for an ancient necropolis as you will see in the photos below.
I tried to squeeze in Agios Neophytos Monastery, which was due tomorrow but decided to push it to the day after when I leave Paphos. The rain persisted and I was damp and wet so decided to call it a day and head to my apartment – which was like staying at a Greek relatives place in Greece – very nice. I drowned my rainy sorrows in a dish called “Kokiniso Xirino” or braised pork with veggies.
The following morning was a welcome sight. A rising sun machetying its way through huge fluffy clouds. Good enough for my second 10km run in Cyprus. My first destination was the Archaeological Site in Paphos. Tis 1980 UNESCO protected site covers a large 2 square kilometres around the port of Paphos.
Its sites and monuments date from prehistoric times through the Middle Ages. Among the most significant remains so far discovered are four large and elaborate Roman villas: the House of Dionysos, the House of Aion, the House of Theseus and the House of Orpheus, all with superb preserved mosaic floors, especially an Orpheus mosaic. In addition, excavations have uncovered an agora, asklipieion, basilica, odeion, and Hellenistic-Roman theatre. Ancient Paphos was probably built by Nicocles, the last king of Paphos, around 310BC. By the beginning of the 2nd Century BC it became the capital of the island, replacing Salamis during the Hellenistic era under the Ptolemies. In 30BC it was occupied by the Romans and then by the Ottomans in 1571AD by which time the place was in ruins. This is a significant place since it is so large but not that well preserved when I compare it to Balbeek in Lebanon or Palmyra in Syria or Hatra in Iraq. What made it especially striking was the awesome storm clouds out in the Mediterranean that just licked passed on their way north – thank goodness.
My last visits in the town included Paphos Castle, St Kyriaki Chrysopolitisa, Medieval Baths, Panagia Theoskepasti and the monument dedicated to Archbishop Makarios III who tried to unify Cyprus with Greece to prevent the Turkish invasion of 1974.
The day opened up with plenty of sun but retaining fluffy cumulus clouds that added so much definition to each site. I drove 25km back towards Limassol (Lemesos) in order to confront Aphrodite’s Rock, which was not even visible in the pouring run of the day before. There is was, covered in people but standing out in a blue-green ocean swelling around it. A wonderful sight and would have been better if it were not for dozens of Russians and Germans crawling all over it. There was no way I would remove these insects but shooting from afar ensured I captured Aphrodite and not the white skin of the tourists. According to one legend, this rock is the site of the birth of the goddess Aphrodite. Gaia (Mother Earth) asked one of her sons, Cronus, to mutilate his father, Uranus (Sky). This legend says that Cronus ambushed his father and cut him below the waist with a scythe. Uranus, as he tried to escape flying, lost parts of his truncated body and testicles into the sea. A white foam appeared from which a maiden arose, the waves first taking her to Kythera and then bringing her to Cyprus. The maiden, named Aphrodite, went to the assembly of gods from Cyprus. The Romans widely referred to her as Venus. Aphrodite attracted a large cult following in Paphos, which was eventually crushed by the Romans. This is evident from the Sanctuary of Aphrodite in Old Paphos, Kouklia – the place I visited after this. A local myth says that any person who swims around the Aphrodite Rock will be blessed with eternal beauty.
The Archaeological Site of Palaepaphos is only 9km away from Aphrodite’s Rock back in the direction of Paphos. This 1980 UNESCO protected site is dedicated to Aphrodite. The Myceneans (form Crete), who settled on the island at the beginning of the 12th century BC, adopted the local goddess of fertility and erected a sanctuary in her honour. Palaipafos remained the largest rural and religious centre of western Cyprus, until the end of the 4th century BC. During the Roman period it became the centre of the newly established 'Koinon Kyprion', (the 'Confederation of the Cypriots'), which dealt with religious affairs and the cult of the Roman emperor and controlled the island's bronze coinage. The religious and cultural activities at the sanctuary of Palaipafos ceased in the 4th century A.D. with the rise and spread of Christianity throughout the island.
My last evening in Paphos involved a feast of “Papoutsakia” (Fine mince on eggplant covered by melted Haloumi washed down with a very dry Proseco made in Cyprus !!! No doubt that Paphos is my favourite city to date with its easy going nature, clean streets, bustling port and ancient archaeological sites.
Enjoy the sites of Paphos and Aphrodite…
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