Πάφος (Greek)
Baf (Turkish)
Paphos view.jpg
Official seal of Paphos
[[image:Template:Location map Cyprus|300px|Paphos is located in Template:Location map Cyprus]]
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Coordinates: Template:StateAbbr2 34°46′N 32°25′E﻿ / ﻿34.767°N 32.417°E﻿ / 34.767; 32.417
Country Template:Flag
District Paphos District
 - Mayor Savvas Vergas
Elevation 236 ft (72 m)
Population (2011)
 - Urban 66,000 and city 32,754 [1]
 - Demonym Paphian
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 - Summer (DST) EST (UTC+3)
Post code 8010 - 8049

Paphos (Greek: Πάφος, transliteration: Pafos, Turkish: Baf), sometimes referred to as Pafos, is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos[2] and New Paphos.[3] The currently inhabited city is New Paphos. It lies on the Mediterranean coast, about 50 km (31.07 mi) west of the Limassol (the biggest port in island), which has an A6 highway connection. Paphos International Airport is the country's second largest airport.

Near Palaepaphos (Old Paphos) at the seaside of Petra tou Romiou is the mythical birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty and the founding myth is interwoven with the goddess at every level, so that Old Paphos became the most famous and important place for worshipping Aphrodite in the ancient world. In Greco-Roman times Paphos was the island's capital, and it is famous for the remains of the Roman governor's palace, where extensive, fine mosaics are a major tourist attraction. The apostle Paul of Tarsus visited the town during the 1st century AD. The town of Paphos is included in the official UNESCO list of cultural and natural treasures of the world's heritage.

Paphos enjoys a Subtropical-Mediterranean climate, with the mildest temperatures on the island. The typical summer's season lasts about 8 months, from April to November, although in March and December temperatures may also reach 20 °C (68.0 °F).

Paphos has been selected as the European Capital of Culture for 2017 along with Aarhus.

Founding myth

In the founding myth, even the town's name is linked to the goddess, as the eponymous Paphos was the son of Pygmalion[4] whose ivory cult image of Aphrodite was brought to life by the goddess as "milk-white" Galatea.



The Greek names of two archaic kings, Etevandros and Akestor are attested in Cypriot syllabary on objects of 7th century BC found in Kourion.[7]
The remains of villas, palaces, theatres, fortresses and tombs of the Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods mean that the site is of exceptional architectural and historic value. The mosaics of Nea Paphos are among the most beautiful in the world. The port of Paphos was rebuilt by Nicocles, the last king of Paphos, at the time of Alexander III of Macedon. It became the capital of the island replacing Salamis during the Hellenistic era, under the successors of Alexander III of Macedon – the Ptolemies who favoured a location closer to their capital, Alexandria. The theatre dating to the end of the 4th century BC has been under excavation by the University of Sydney since 1995: it was partly excavated from its hillside setting and partly built up with earth embankments.

Old Paphos


Odeon Amphitheatre, built in 2nd century AD, with about 1200 seats

Old Paphos, now the site of Kouklia (French: Covocle, Turkish: Kukla or Konuklia) (Engel, Kypros, vol. i. p. 125) was seated on an eminence,[8] at the distance of about ten stadia from the sea, to which, however, it had a roadstead. It was not far from the Zephyrium promontory (Strabo xiv. p. 683) and the mouth of the little River Bocarus.[9]

Aphrodite at Paphos


Here the worship of the goddess was centred, not for Cyprus alone, but for the whole Aegean world. The Cinyradae, or descendants of Cinyras were the chief priests, Greek by name but of Phoenician origin. Their power and authority were very great; but it may be inferred from certain inscriptions that they were controlled by a senate and an assembly of the people. There was also an oracle here.[12] Few cities have ever been so much sung and glorified by the poets.[13] The remains of the vast temple of Aphrodite are still discernible, its circumference marked by huge foundation walls. After its destruction by an earthquake it was rebuilt by Vespasian, on whose coins it is represented, as well as on earlier and later ones, and especially in the style on those of Septimius Severus.[14] From these representations, and from the existing remains, Gustav Friedrich Hetsch, an architect of Copenhagen, has attempted to restore the building.[15][16]

According to the biblical Acts of the Apostles, after landing at Salamis and proclaiming the Word of God in the synagogues,[17] the prophets and teachers Barnabas, Black Symeon, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen and Saul of Tarsus traveled along the entire southern coast of the island of Cyprus until they reached Paphos.[18] There, Sergius Paulus, the Roman proconsul, was converted after Saul rebuked the Sorcerer Elymas.[19] It was at that point that Saul effectively became the leader, from then on being called Paul.

New Paphos


New Paphos view from Paphos Castle

New Paphos (Nea Paphos), the currently inhabited town, was founded on the sea, near the western end of the island, and possessed a good harbour. It lay about sixty stadia, or ca. twelve km northwest of the old city.[20] It too had a founding myth: it was said to have been founded by Agapenor, chief of the Arcadians at the siege of Troy,[21] who, after the capture of that town, was driven by the storm that separated the Greek fleet, onto the coast of Cyprus. (Pausanias viii. 5. § 2.) An Agapenor was mentioned as king of the Paphians in a Greek distich preserved in the Analecta;[22] and Herodotus (vii. 90) alludes to an Arcadian "colony" in Cyprus. Like its ancient namesake, Nea Paphos was also distinguished for the worship of Aphrodite and contained several magnificent temples dedicated to her. Yet the old city seems to have always retained the preeminence in this respect, and Strabo tells that the road leading to it from Nea Paphos was annually crowded with male and female votaries resorting to the more ancient shrine, and coming not only from the latter place itself, but also from the other towns of Cyprus. When Seneca says (N. Q. vi. 26, Epistle 91) that Paphos was nearly destroyed by an earthquake, it is difficult to say to which of the towns he refers. Dio Cassius (liv. 23) relates that it was restored by Augustus, and called "Augusta" in his honour; but though this name has been preserved in inscriptions, it never supplanted the ancient one in popular use.


Post-Classical history



Modern Paphos


In the 1980s, Kato Paphos received most of the investment. In the 1990s, Coral Bay Resort was further developed and in the 2000s the Aphrodite Hills resort was developed.

Today Paphos, with a population of about 47,300 (end of 2001), is a popular and fast developing tourist resort, home to an attractive fishing harbour. Ktima is the main residential district while Kato Pafos, by the sea, is built around the medieval port and contains most of the luxury hotels and the entertainment infrastructure of the city. Apostolou Pavlou Avenue (St. Paul's Avenue), the busiest road in Paphos, connects the two quarters of the city. It begins near the city centre at Kennedy Square and ends outside the medieval fort at the harbour.


Paphos luxurious seaside hotels by evening Republic of Cyprus

Seaside hotels in Paphos

The economy of Paphos depends largely on tourism and there are four resorts in the district: Kato Paphos, Coral Bay, Latchi, and Aphrodite Hills. The largest by far is Kato Pafos which employs over half of Paphos' population. Farming, especially banana, grape and tobacco cultivation, also contributes significantly to the economy of Paphos. Paphos has a 100 km water distribution network which irrigates 5,000 ha of land. Paphos has the island's second international airport. Paphos Harbour is not important in terms of international trade as most shipping uses the harbour at Limassol. Paphos Marina has cultural and historical importance and is also used for fishing.


Although unemployment levels are relatively low compared to other EU countries they are the highest in Cyprus, and have risen in 2009 due to the global recession.


Paphos boulevard

Paphos pedestrian boulevard


The Saracen Rock (foreground) and the Rock of the Greek (background).

Tala - Cyprus

There are numerous traditional villages around the city of Paphos. In the picture: Tala.

Latarnia pafos

Lighthouse of Paphos


The legacy of the town's remarkable history adds up to nothing less than an open museum, so much so that UNESCO added the entire town to its World Cultural Heritage List. Among the treasures unearthed are the remarkable mosaics in the Houses of Dionysos, Theseus and Aion, beautifully preserved after 16 centuries under the soil. Then there are the mysterious vaults and caves, the Tombs of the Kings, the pillar to which Saint Paul was allegedly tied and whipped and the ancient Odeon Theatre. Other places of interest include the Byzantine Museum and the District Archaeological Museum, with its attractive collection of Cypriot antiquities from the Paphos area, dating from the Neolithic Age up to 1700 AD. Near the Odeon are the remains of the ancient city walls, the Roman Agora and a building dedicated to Asclepius, god of medicine.




The site has recently seen the development of Aphrodite Hills, a multi-award winning resort. It features a five-star deluxe InterContinental Resort Hotel, an 18-hole standard championship golf course, competition tennis courts, fitness facilities, holiday villas, apartments, townhouses and the Retreat Spa. Aphrodite Hills recently appeared in the highly prestigious Forbes magazine 'top five resorts' list where it was voted the world's most desirable new resort.[24]

Near Petra tou Romiou is Palaepaphos, Old Paphos, one of the most celebrated places of pilgrimage in the ancient Greek world, and once an ancient city kingdom of Cyprus. Here are the ruins of the famous Temple of Aphrodite, the most ancient remains, go back to the 12th century BC. The temple was one of the most important places of cult and pilgrimage of the ancient world, until the 3rd-4th centuries AD. The museum, housed in the Lusignan Manor, is small but impressive with many finds from the area.

Yeroskipou with its remarkable five-domed Byzantine church of Ayia Paraskevi and its Folk Art Museum is a town in Paphos metropolitan area known for many years for its special delight 'loukoumi'.

North-east of Paphos lies Ayios Neophytos (St. Neophytos) Monastery, famous for its `Encleistra' (Enclosure) carved out of the mountain by the hermit himself, which boasts some of the finest Byzantine frescoes of the 12th and 15th centuries. Nearby too is the painted village church of Emba (Empa).




Tzielefos bridge

"Tzielefos" Venetian bridge, Diarizos river, Paphos forest.

Mavrokolympos Dam 160

Mavrokolympos Dam

Paphos enjoys a subtropical-Mediterranean climate, with the greatest amounts of precipitation mainly occurring from mid-November to March. It practically never rains in the summer, (with an average of 0.1). In July and August, humidity measurements can go up to 85%.

Snowfall occurs rarely, approximately every 10 years, and does not normally lead to any significant disruption. Snowfall does occur in the hills of Tsada, 6 km north, almost annually. The last significant snowfall in the city centre occurred in the winter of 2001.

Heat waves in July and August are relatively common, when hot air masses from the Sahara desert drift over to Cyprus causing temperatures to rise. Cyprus has experienced drought-like conditions and the current trend of global warming is expected to increase the severity of these conditions.[25] In the summer of 2008, Cyprus had to ship water by tanker from Greece to meet demand on the island.[26]

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Paphos International Airport Check-in Hall

Paphos International Airport check-in desks.

Paphos used to be the only traffic-free town in Cyprus. However, things changed after the urbanisation and rise of the population in less than 10 years. The problem is mainly in the town centre, where the roads of a small colonial village cannot do what they are made to do anymore. The problems mainly exist because some planned road links remain on paper. These include:

  • 2nd part of the northern ring road
  • Western ring road
  • Airport road
  • Paphos - Coral Bay road upgrade

Public transport

Public transport in Paphos is currently served only by buses. The bus company operating in the city is called OSYPA LTD. Bus routes and timetable can be found here:[1]


Paphos did not have a motorway link until 2001. It is now accessed through the A6 which connects Paphos with Limassol. It is expected that by 2013 the new A7 towards Polis will be completed so that the suburbs will get a traffic breath.[2]


Paphos Airport panoramic.jpg</div>


Since 1982, air traffic of Paphos is served by Paphos International Airport located 10 km southeast of the city, near Timi. It serves approximately 1.75 million people every year. A new Terminal opened in late 2008 adjacent to the old one.


The port today serves as a small marina and a fisherman shelter and has a capacity of 300 boats. It is probably the top tourist destination of the city with plenty of restaurants and cafés. The castle's square hosts Aphrodite festival every September since 1998. Cargo and cruise ships use the Limassol Port 60 km away. A marina is planned to be constructed 10 km north, next to Coral Bay in Kissonerga. The new marina will serve up to 1,000 boats.[3]

Hospitals and medical centres








File:Pafiako Stadium.jpg

Paphos has a long history in sports, with several football, basketball, volleyball teams. The Pafian gymnastic club is called Korivos, and it owns (via the Cyprus Athletic Organisation) the local stadium which is called Pafiako and the arena for volley and basket venues called Aphroditi. The most successful team of Paphos is the volley ball club, Pafiakos, who have been Champions of Cyprus three times (the last in 2006). Dionysos, a volley ball team from Stroumpi (a village of Paphos), plays in the First Division as well. Both teams use the indoor Aphrodite arena. The football club in Paphos is called AEP Paphos. The team was founded in 2000 and is currently in the Cypriot First Division. The team plays in Pafiako Stadium, while they train in other grounds located in Yeroskipou. In 2006, the second Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championships were held in Paphos.

Probably the most successful Paphian athlete of recent times was Stylianos Kyriakides (1910–1987) (Greek: Στυλιανός Κυριακίδης), a marathon runner. Born in Statos, Paphos, he won the 1946 Boston Marathon. According to a newspaper report, he was running with John Kelley near the end, when an old man shouted from the crowd, "For Greece, for your children!" inspiring him to pull away and win the race.


Notable people


See also


  1. Στατιστική Υπηρεσία Κυπριακή Δημοκρατίας, Απογραφή πληθυσμού 2011
  2. Old Paphos, in Ancient Greek: Πάφος παλαιά, Ptol. v. 14. § 1; or, in one word, Παλαίπαφος, Strabo xiv. p. 683; Palaepaphos, Plin. v. 31. s. 35)
  3. New Paphos in Ancient Greek (Πάφος Νέα, Ptol. l. c.; Nea Paphos, Plin. l. c.. The name of Paphos, without any adjunct, is used by poets and by writers of prose to denote both Old and New Paphos, but with this distinction, that in ancient prose writers it commonly means New Paphos, whilst in the ancient poets, on the contrary, for whom the name of Palaepaphos would have been unwieldy, it generally signifies Old Paphos, the more particular seat of the cult of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. In inscriptions, also, both towns are called Πάφος. This indiscriminate use is sometimes productive of ambiguity, especially in the Latin prose authors.
  4. Pygmalion's father was Belus, simply "lord"l.
  5. Bibliotheke, iii.14.3.
  7. Mitford Terence Bruce (1971) The inscriptions of Kourion, pp. 7-9 (Etevandros) and 373-376 (Akestor). American Philosophical Society, Philadelpheia, USA.
  8. The hill is celsa Paphos in Aeneid x. 51
  9. Hesychius, under Βώκαρος
  10. Tac. Hist. ii. 3; Mela, ii. 7; Lucan viii.456
  11. Ashmolean Museum website
  12. Engel, i.p. 483.
  14. Engel, vol. i. p. 130.
  15. Müller's Archäol. § 239, p. 261; Eckhel, vol. iii. p. 86.
  16. Münter, Friedrich Christian Carl Hinrich; Hetsch, Gustav Friedrich (1824) (in German). Der Tempel der himmlischen Göttin zu Paphos: zweite Beilage zur Religion der Karthager. Schubothe. OCLC 13923976. 
  17. Acts 13:5
  18. Acts 13:6
  19. Acts 13:6-12
  20. Strabo xiv. p. 683.
  21. Iliad. ii.609
  22. p. 181, Brunk
  23. Engel, Kypros, 2 vols. Berlin, 1841.
  25. Climate Change Threatens Cyprus with Drought/
  26. Greek Cyprus Water Shipment Suffers More Setbacks

External links


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