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| The
drive along the south coast to Paphos started with a
visit to the site of ancient Kourion,
a Greek city dedicated to Apollo and one of the island's
most important centres. The dominant feature at the
site today is its large theatre, which has been partially
restored and is now used for modern dramatic and musical
performance. |
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Kourion.
The Theatre |
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| In
the heart of the old city the remains of the Roman agora
or marketplace have been partially uncovered along with
the foundations of an early Christian basilica |
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Kourion.
The Theatre |
Kourion.
The Early Christian Basilica |
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| Along
with the public buildings, a number of private houses
have been excavated. Several, including the House of
the Gladiators (below) and the House of Eustolios,
were decorated with fine mosaic floors. |
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Kourion.
Mosaic in the House of the Gladiators |
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| A
short distance to the west of the city is a stadium
built by one of the Antonine emperors, some time in
the 2nd century AD. It measures 233 metres in length
and had seven tiers of seating giving it a total capacity
of about 6,000 people. |
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Kourion.
The Stadium |
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| In
the countryside just west of the city is the Sanctuary
of Apollo Hylates (“Apollo of the Woodlands”),
one of the most important religious centres in Cyprus.
The sanctuary dates to at least the 8th century BC but
most of the structures were built during Roman times. |
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Sanctuary
of Apollo Hylates. The Kourion Gate and Palaestra |
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| Apart
from the temple building itself, the complex included
a palaestra (used for exercise), dormitories
and buildings for displaying votives that had been offered
to the god. |
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Sanctuary
of Apollo Hylates. Remains of the temenos |
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Sanctuary
of Apollo Hylates. Lorna in the South Building |
Temple
of Apollo Hylates |
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Just to the west of the temple building is a circular
area probably recreating the halos (“threshing
floor”) that was used for sacred dances. The connection
between the threshing floor and fertility is obvious
and the halos was the inspiration for the circular shape
of the stage in an ancient Greek theatre as well. |
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Sanctuary
of Apollo Hylates. Remains of the halos |
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| On
the road to Paphos we passed Petra tou Romiou,
reputed to be the birthplace of Aphrodite. In popular
etymology her name means“foam-sprung” and
she is said to have been engendered on the sea by the
god Kronos who castrated his father, Ouranos, and tossed
the floppy bits into the water. |
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Petra
tou Romiou |
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