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Paphos: (Baf) |
Paphos boasts a number of
unique claims to fame: It was here that Aphrodite, goddess of love, walked in
from the sea to found a thousand love cults across the Hellenic world. It was
here that Agapeanor, leader of the Arcadian contingent to Troy, was shipwrecked
and it was also here that St Paul stopped off on his way to Rome for a quick
conversion of the local proconsul. Paphos is a city where myth and reality
mingle freely and where you can see Roman villas, Byzantine churches and
Crusader castles within a few minutes walk of the harbour. It is also a city
that is facing similar developmental pressures to the rest of Cyprus, although
it does enjoy some protection as a UNESCO world heritage site.
Modern Paphos sprawls above the old harbour area in a haphazard fashion;
contemporary hotels mingle with ancient buildings as they climb an escarpment
first settled by the Byzantines in the first century AD. Traditionally two
settlements made up Paphos: Kato Pafos (the harbour area) and Ktima (the hill),
but these have recently merged as high-rises fill in the gaps in-between the
two. As Southern Cyprus’ second largest resort Paphos has expanded rapidly.
Although the historic city centre remains relatively intact it is suffering as a
result of the Paphos’ shift from sleepy regional capital to modern resort. The
airport nearby means that the city is easily accessible and its location as the
gateway to the less developed north (and the untouched Akamas peninsula) has
also attracted visitors.
Kato Pafos (the harbour area) is pretty tacky; a medley of garish bars,
restaurants and discos filled with sunburnt Brits. The town centre at Ktima
kilometres up the hill is much more elegant and there are a number of sights
worth seeing including the covered market, a handful of museums and some
impressive Roman mosaics. To the south of Paphos lies the little village of
Yeroskipou where loukoumi (the Greek-Cypriot take on Turkish delight) is made
and you can stock up on earthenware pottery. Check out the ninth century
frescoes in the Byzantine church of Ayia Paraskevi (St Friday) and then head
north to the Baths of Aphrodite and the wild western coast. After all it might
be your last chance to glimpse the Homeric landscape of classical Cyprus before
the bulldozers arrive.
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