Register today! | Already registered? Sign in

traveldk.com

from Eyewitness Travel Guides: the world's bestselling travel guides
  • Personal guide
  • Open
Member image

Cyprus : Kato Pafos Archaeological Park

Submit an attraction

Make sure your favorite shops, restaurants, hotels and more are listed.

Submit an attraction illustration
WIN WIN WIN

Win a digital camera & more in this month's competitions.

Win a digital camera and more
Download a podcast

Free podcasts Find free podcasts for Miami, Sicily and more.

Join our free monthly newsletter

Advertisement

Kato Pafos Archaeological Park

★ ★ ★ ★ ½
4.5 /5  (6 votes)
  • Review this attraction
  • Rate it
  • Are these details incorrect?
  • The most accessible, exciting and inspiring archaeological site on the island, the ruins at Kato Pafos were first unearthed as recently as 1962, shedding dramatic new light on Cyprus under the Roman Empire. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the remains discovered here span more than 2,000 years. The lavish mosaics found on the floors of four Roman villas indicate that this was a place of ostentatious wealth in its glory days. Some display saucy scenes of deities and mortals carousing – an indication, perhaps, that Cyprus was as much a pleasure seeker’s island then as it is now.

Top 10 Sights
  • House of Aion 1. House of Aion
    1. House of Aion

    The god Dionysus features largely in the mosaics in this villa, unearthed in 1983 and dating from the 4th century AD. Other scenes show the god Apollo, the legendary royal beauty Cassiopeia, and the god Aion, after whom the building is named.

  • Villa of Theseus 2. Villa of Theseus
    2. Villa of Theseus

    This villa’s mosaics are based on a heroic theme: a club-wielding Theseus prepares to take on the Minotaur, watched by Ariadne, while Achilles, champion of the siege of Troy, is shown as an infant.

  • House of Orpheus 3. House of Orpheus
    3. House of Orpheus

    Another of the villas is still undergoing excavation. A scene of the tragic musician Orpheus pacifying a menagerie of savage beasts is the highlight of the mosaics.

  • House of Dionysus 4. House of Dionysus
    4. House of Dionysus

    Named after its mosaics of Dionysus, the god of wine, this is the largest of the four opulent villas found at Kato Pafos.

  • Roman Odeon 5. Roman Odeon
    5. Roman Odeon

    The partly restored Roman theatre, with its 11 tiers of seats, stands on a hillside overlooking the rest of the site. Built in the early 2nd century AD, it was levelled by an earthquake three centuries later.

  • 6. Asklipion

    The Asklipion was sacred to Asklipios, god of medicine. Its priests were renowned for their healing skills, and it was a hospital as well as a temple of worship.

  • 7. Roman Walls

    Long ramparts and a moat protected Kato Pafos during its heyday as one of the wealthiest cities in Cyprus under the Romans.

  • 8. Agora

    The marketplace was the hub of the ancient city’s social, political and commercial life and was originally surrounded by a grand colonnade of granite columns.

  • Saranda Kolones 9. Saranda Kolones
    9. Saranda Kolones

    This stronghold was erected by the 13th-century Lusignan kings on the remnants of a Byzantine castle. Its massive, battered walls and honeycomb of vaults and dungeons are surrounded by a dry moat.

  • 10. Hellenistic Theatre

    Overlooking Kato Pafos from the south slope of Fabrica Hill, this semi-circular theatre has seven rows of stone benches, cut into the rock of the hillside.

Practical Information
Bring plenty of bottled water with you as there are no refreshment facilities on the site. There’s a large, free car park on the inland side of Apostolou Pavlou Street, directly opposite the harbour. For a panoramic view, climb to the roof of the miniature Turkish castle which guards the harbour. 263 06217 Open Apr, May, Sep & Oct: 8am–6pm daily, Jun–Aug: 8am–7:30pm daily, Nov–Mar: 8am–5pm daily Adm CY£1.50
Write a review

If you were signed in, you could write a review here. Register for a free account, or if you're already a member, sign in.

Advertisement

 Latest guides
What’s on now in Cyprus
  • Abyss
    Abyss is one of the hottest clubs in Ayia Napa, brought to you by a former member of The Kool Club crew. Read more
  • The Castle Club
    With four floors dedicated to retro, R&B, funky house and cheesy dance music, the Castle Club is Ayia Napa's biggest nightclub. Read more
  • European Dance Festival
    Now an annual highlight on the European arts and culture scene, 2007 marks the tenth anniversary of Limassol's European Dance Festival. Sixteen European countries unite for a two-month extravaganza... Read more
  • Kataklysmos
    A unique Cypriot celebration, the Festival of the Flood (as it is otherwise known) coincides with (Greek) Pentecost and is marked by festivities at all seaside towns (although some celebrate at... Read more