Paphos
Paphos, Greek Πάφος ( Pafos ), Turkish Baf, is a port city in the southwest of the Republic of Cyprus and capital of the district is named after her.
Paphos is the administrative seat for the district of Paphos.
- 4.1 Tombs of the Kings
- 4.2 Roman Buildings
- 4.3 castle
- 4.4 Museums 4.4.1 Archaeological Museum District
- 4.4.2 Byzantine Museum
- 4.4.3 Folklore Museum
History
The origin of Palaia Paphos ( "Old Paphos " ), as they called the place since the founding of Nea Paphos, lies in the dark. Mythical sources lead the city's foundation back to the king Cinyras, designated by the generations of Priest-Kings in Paphos as Kinyraden. According to Pausanias, Agapenor has built from Tegea, on the way home from Troy, Aphrodite in Paphos a temple.
34.77527777777832.424166666667Koordinaten: 34 ° 47 'N, 32 ° 25' O
Archeology can the history of Palaia Paphos prove to the late Bronze Age. Since the 15th century BC a settlement must have existed. The migration of the Achaeans affected Palaia Paphos in the late 13th century BC rich grave finds now testify to the prosperity of the city.
From the destruction wrought by the end of the Bronze Age Palaia Paphos was spared.
His first historical mention learns Paphos by an inscription on the stele Kition from the time of the Assyrian king Esarhaddon ( 680-669 BC), the Ituandar ( Eteandros ) lists the paphischen king as a Tribute from.
As the Cypriot city of kings under the leadership of Onesilos of Salamis 499 BC revolt against the Persians, and was subjected to Paphos. The Herodotus is confirmed by the excavation of a siege ramp north-east of Kouklia. The king of Paphos contributed 480 BC, twelve ships to the fleet of Xerxes at. Nicocles, the last king of Paphos, made 321 BC Nea Paphos as the new capital, and fortified also Palaia Paphos, which only had a sanctuary of Aphrodite importance. After the conquest of the island by Ptolemy the kings of Paphos was responsible for only the office of high priest of Aphrodite, a still honorable function that was BC also offered the last Ptolemies after the arrival of the Romans in the year 58 as compensation. The Sanctuary of Aphrodite was under the patronage of the Roman Empire and remained until the 4th century AD, despite strong impairments caused by earthquakes.
In Byzantine times the city declined. Following the acquisition of the island by the house of Lusignan Palaia Paphos received a castrum to monitor the sugar cane plantations in the coastal region in the 13th century. The castrum Manoir de la Covocle, also known under the name Chateau de Covocle or Conuclia, should have given the present site of Kouklia his name. In 1426 it was destroyed by the Mamluks, then rebuilt and was under Turkish rule as the seat of the Turkish Chiftlik of Kouklia. Today it houses the Museum.
In the Temple of Aphrodite of Paphos were statues of the Roman Emperor Augustus and his wife Livia, erected by Julia and Tiberius, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and his wife Julia, Marcia, and his grandson Gaius, a statue of Tiberius as Emperor. Tiberius confirmed the cult of Aphrodite local.
The late Roman Palace in Paphos has an apsidal throne room, which is accessed through a courtyard with peristyles. In the 5th century, it was equipped with floor mosaics. Under Justinian I, he was abandoned, perhaps because the city of Shammai (Constantia ) was the seat of the newly-appointed governor.
Middle of the 7th century the town was sacked by the Arabs. In the Panagia Limeniotissa cathedral there were Arabic inscriptions.
The Saranta Kolones castle was probably built under Basil I.. In 1191 they surrendered to the Crusaders under the English King Richard the Lionheart; It was destroyed in the earthquake of 1222.
King Eric I of Denmark died in 1103 in Paphos on the way to Jerusalem on the occasion of a pilgrimage. He was buried in Paphos.
Geography
After Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca Paphos is the fourth largest city of Cyprus region with 51,300 inhabitants (as of December 31, 2004). The city itself has about 27,500 inhabitants.
The harbor town of Paphos is located on the southwest coast in the Greek-speaking part of the island. To distinguish from about 15 km southeast famous ancient Palaia Páfos ( "Old Paphos " ), the city used to be Nea Páfos ( " New Paphos " ) was called. The slightly above preferred place Ktima is also called Pano Paphos ( " upper Paphos ").
Climate
Paphos has tropical and sub-Mediterranean climate. Precipitation is only between mid-November and March snow about every 10 years. In the summer there is virtually no precipitation ( 0.1%).
Traffic
- Port: Paphos has an important port which today has mainly tourist character.
- Airport: Paphos International Airport has gained traffic, since Nicosia will no longer fly, and tourism in the southwest of Cyprus increased.
- Street: On the land side there is connection to the Cyprus - Paphos motorway A6 Erimi. Paphos making it the westernmost point of the Südküstenautobahn.
At the north coast towards a national road leads to Polis Chrysochous.
Attractions
Tombs of the Kings
The so-called royal tombs from the 3rd century BC, when Cyprus was under the rule of the Ptolemies were used until the 3rd century AD for burials but there are no kings were buried, but members of the Cypriot upper class. In the late Iron Age to the time of the Diadochi Paphos was a petty kingdom. The last ruler, Nicocles, brought to 310 BC, along with his entire family in order, after he had come into conflict with Ptolemy I.
In 1980, the ruins of Paphos UNESCO declared World Heritage Site.
Roman Buildings
Mention may be made especially of the Roman houses from the 2nd / 3rd Century AD with their precious floor mosaics.
Fort
The most important landmark is the medieval castle right on the harbor, the Ottomans built up again in 1592 after it had been previously abandoned by the Venetians and partially destroyed.
Museums
Archaeological Museum District
The museum shows, among other gold jewelry from the 15th century BC to the third century AD, Roman glass and a number of crafted clay Roman hot water bottles.
Byzantine Museum
In addition to liturgical and robes can be seen from the 12th to the 18th century in this museum icons.
Folklore Museum
In a mansion from the 1894 Cypriot everyday objects of the past centuries are shown in the private museum.
Paphos in mythology, literature and art
According to legend, Aphrodite went after her birth in Cyprus on land. The approximately 15 km south-east of Paphos located, older Palaia Páfos was an important center of their worship. Aphrodite was therefore also known as the " Paphia ". Paphos possessed a famous temple of Aphrodite Urania.
In the continuation of Mozart's " Magic Flute ", the " Second Part of The Magic Flute, The Labyrinth " by Emanuel Schikaneder and Peter von Winter, Vienna 1798 appears, a king of Paphos, the Queen of the Night in the fight against Sarastro the hand of her daughter Pamina promises.
In the Bible, Paphos is mentioned in Acts (Acts 13.6 to 12 EU). Here the apostles Barnabas and Paul hit the governor Sergius Paullus, who wants to hear from them the word of God. The magician Bar - Jesus, who is at the service of the governor, is smitten by God with blindness, as he tries to intrigue against the two apostles. Overwhelmed by this sign to Sergius Paulus converted to the Christian faith.