Paphos Archaeological Park

Paphos Archaeological Park occupies the western edge of Kato Paphos, beside the harbour on Cyprus's south-west coast, and covers much of the ancient city of Nea Paphos. The city was founded towards the end of the 4th century BCE, traditionally credited to Nikokles, the last king of Paphos, and it later became the seat of the Ptolemaic governor of the island. After Cyprus passed to Rome in 58 BCE, Nea Paphos became the capital of the Roman province and remained so until a series of earthquakes in the 4th century CE badly damaged it. The park is part of the UNESCO-listed Paphos site, inscribed in 1980 together with Palaepaphos and the Tombs of the Kings. The best-known remains are the Roman-era mosaic floors in four large villas: the House of Dionysos, the House of Theseus, the House of Aion and the House of Orpheus. Their floors, laid between the 2nd and 5th centuries CE, show mythological scenes in tesserae of local stone and glass. Elsewhere in the park, visitors find the Odeon, a small 2nd-century CE theatre of cut limestone that is still used for summer performances, the foundations of the Agora, the Asklepieion, a Hellenistic theatre cut into Fabrika Hill, and fragments of the city walls. The park also contains the Saranta Kolones fortress and an early Christian basilica site. The archaeological character is that of an open-air site in which stone foundations, columns and protective roofs are visible across a wide coastal area. Excavation began in 1962 under the Cyprus Department of Antiquities, which still manages the park, with long-term work by the University of Sydney, the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology and other teams. Several mosaic houses are covered by modern shelters and raised walkways. Interpretation is largely through signs and on-site panels, with the visit laid out as a loose circuit rather than a fixed route. Many mosaics are in good condition, while others have lost their upper walls and roofs and remain exposed to weather and sea air.