Pafos UNESCO Archaeological Park

Pafos UNESCO Archaeological Park

Ancient temples, rock-cut tombs and Roman villas with elaborate mosaic floors all reflect the highly sophisticated societies which inhabited Pafos in the past. With a history dating back more than eight thousand years, the town offers a wealth of treasures to the visitor. From the Stone Age, through Hellenistic and Roman times to the Byzantine era, many of Pafos’ ancient monuments are included in UNESCO’s Global Heritage List. Monuments of the Archaeological Park The House of Dionysos: This rich building belongs to the Greco-Roman type where the rooms are arranged around a central court, which functioned as the core of the house. It seems that the house was built at the end of the 2nd century A.D. and was destroyed and abandoned after the earthquakes of the 4th century A.D. The House of Dionysus occupies 2000sq. metres of which 556 are covered with mosaic floors decorated with mythological, vintage and hunting scenes. At the House's entrance these is a pebble mosaic representing the mythical sea-monster Scylla that belonged to a Hellenistic building found below the later Roman one. The House of Orpheus: It belongs to the type of the wealthy Greco-Roman Houses with a central court similar to the House of Dionysus. It dates to the late 2nd /early 3rd century A.D. The building´s main room, the reception hall, is decorated with a mosaic floor depicting Orpheus among the beasts. The next room´s mosaic floor bears two panels, one representing Hercules and the Lion of Nemea, and the other an Amazon with her horse. The Villa of Theseus: The villa was built in the second half of the 2nd century A.D. over the ruins of earlier houses of the Hellenistic and early Roman periods and was in use until the 7th century AD. The villa's large size, it consisted of more than 100 rooms, suggests that the building was the residence of the governor of Cyprus. Many of the rooms and three of the four porticos around the central court are covered with mosaic floors with geometric motifs. Three rooms in the south wing of the building are embellished with mosaic floors with human representations, all belonging to different phases. The oldest one is the mosaic representing Theseus and the Minotaur, dating to the very end of the 3rd or beginning of the 4th century A.D. with obvious later restorations, probably made after the earthquakes of the middle of the 4th century. At the end of the 4th century A.D. a new mosaic depicting Poseidon and Amphitrite was added to a room, which probably served as a bedroom. Finally, at the beginning of the 5th century, a mosaic floor was laid in the reception room, of which only a part is preserved today and depicts Achilles´ first bath. The House of Aion: On the floor of an apsidal room, lies the most spectacular mosaic of Pafos dated from the middle of the 4th century A.D. The mosaic, which is of excellent quality, consists of five figural panels depicting the newborn Dionysos, Leda and the Swan, the beauty contest between Cassiopeia and the Nereids, Apollon and Marsyas, and finally the Triumph of Dionysos. The Agora: The Agora, has the form of a court surrounded by four porticos. Parts of the agora porticoes constitute the Odeon/Bouleuterion and the building known as ‘Asklepieion’. The whole complex dates from the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century A.D. The Lighthouse: It is the most impressive of all light-houses known on the island. It is situated on a peninsula known as Paphos point. Built in 1888, when Cyprus was under British administration, the light acted as a landfall marker for shipping destined for Paphos harbour from Britain . With a focal height of 36m above the sea, its light can be seen for 17 nautical miles, and consists of a long flash of white light every fifteen seconds. The Castle of 'Saranda Kolones': The castle known as 'Saranda Kolones' ('Forty Columns') due to the great number of granite columns preserved on the site, is located near the port, south of the agora. The castle was built in the 7th century A.D. to protect the port and the city of Nea Pafos from the Arab raids and it remained in use until 1223 when it was destroyed by an earthquake. The Odeon: It is a small 2nd-century theatre, which has been extensively restored after its discovery. Today it is used in the summer for musical and theatrical performances. The Asklepieion: The building situated to the south of the Odeon was identified as an ‘Asklepieion’, sanctuary and healing centre, an identification today contested. It is a large building complex with several rooms and a square courtyard. Toumpallos – The Sanctuary of Apollo In this area lies an underground complex carved into the natural rock. The complex consists of halls and corridors. Initially, the area had been identified with a Ptolemaic army camp whereas more recently it is believed that it functioned as a temple dedicated to god Apollo. The area is currently being systematically excavated by an Italian archaeological mission from the University of Catania. Walls (The city’s fortifications) Nea Pafos was protected by fortification walls that surrounded the city. The precise dating of the walls remains unknown although many of its parts may be dated to the Roman period. Some parts have always been visible whereas others have been uncovered through archaeological excavations. In many parts of the wall the natural rock was carved and used as a foundation trench. Thus, whereas the upper levels of the wall have been entirely destroyed, the wall’s exact course may be followed in some parts of the city thanks to the carved natural rock. The best preserved parts of the walls are its north and northwestern side where some of its built parts have also been preserved. A section of the walls has also been revealed on the eastern side of the city, comprising the foundations of a rectangular tower. It seems that the walls had three gates, the better preserved being the one in the northwestern side. This gate had a tower on either side and a bridge, carved in the natural rock, led to the external side of the fortification.