Panorama of the Kato Paphos archaeological harbour zone, Cyprus

Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

CitéUNESCOEn vedette

Paphos

Q: De quand date Paphos ?

Paphos remonte approximativement à 1200 av. J.-C.–700 ap. J.-C..

Πάφος1200 av. J.-C. – 700 apr. J.-C.

The Hellenistic–Roman capital of Cyprus at Kato Paphos, famous for elite house mosaics (Dionysos, Theseus, Aion), the harbour, and the nearby Sanctuary of Aphrodite at Kouklia (Palaepaphos). UNESCO World Heritage as a single cultural landscape.

Bronze Age Classical Hellenistic+3Greek Roman

Intérêt 57

Localisation

Cyprus

34.76°N · 32.41°E · Asie

Carte complète et détails →Ouvrir dans Google Maps ↗

UNESCO

Paphos (1980)

Capital

Hellenistic–Roman capital of Cyprus

Signature art

House of Dionysos and House of Aion mosaics

Cult centre

Sanctuary of Aphrodite at Palaepaphos (Kouklia)

“Paphos is where Mediterranean mythology (Aphrodite’s birth shore) meets measurable urban archaeology—harbour, villas, and sanctuary in one inscribed landscape.”

Localisation

Aperçu

Ancient Paphos splits between Palaepaphos (Kouklia), the Bronze Age and archaic sanctuary of Aphrodite, and Nea Paphos on the western harbour, founded in the late 4th century BCE and capital under the Ptolemies and Rome. The Archaeological Park of Kato Paphos holds the House of Dionysos, House of Theseus, House of Aion, and House of Orpheus—floor mosaics that are among the finest in the eastern Mediterranean. Tombs of the Kings, rock-cut peristyle tombs for local elites, line the coast north of the harbour.

Excavations by the Cypriot Department of Antiquities, Polish missions at Nea Paphos, and Swiss–German work at Palaepaphos have clarified the sanctuary’s open court and conical baetyl cult of Aphrodite, mentioned by Homer and Tacitus. The city minted coins, hosted a Roman proconsul, and remained a bishopric into Byzantine times before earthquakes and shifting trade favoured other ports.

Pair Paphos with Delos for Hellenistic island capitals and with Volubilis for Roman provincial mosaic culture at the empire’s edges.

Pourquoi c'est important

Paphos is where Mediterranean mythology (Aphrodite’s birth shore) meets measurable urban archaeology—harbour, villas, and sanctuary in one inscribed landscape. Cyprus is otherwise almost absent from many world atlases; Paphos is the single densest corrective.

Preuves et interprétation

Distinguer ce qui est bien établi de ce qui reste débattu.

Faits bien établis

Mosaics, inscriptions, and harbour works document Nea Paphos as the island’s administrative capital under Ptolemaic and Roman rule.
Palaepaphos excavations show a long-lived open-air sanctuary with a baetyl cult of Aphrodite/Astarte.

Interprétations débattues

How early the Aphrodite cult at Palaepaphos was “Greek” versus Levantine Astarte under a Greek name is still argued from pottery and figurines.

Photos de la communauté

Partagez votre expérience

Avez-vous visité ce site ? Téléchargez vos photos pour aider les autres à le découvrir.

Comment citer cette page

Atlas Anatolia. (1200). Paphos. Atlas Anatolia. https://atlasanatolia.com/fr/site/paphos

Contenu sous licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — attribution requise en cas de réutilisation.

Sources

Paphos: History and Archaeology — Maier, Franz Georg and Karageorghis, Vassos (1984)
Paphos — UNESCO (1980)Lien

Questions fréquentes

Où se trouve Paphos ?

Paphos est situé à/en Cyprus.

De quand date Paphos ?

Paphos remonte approximativement à 1200 av. J.-C. – 700 apr. J.-C..

Quelles civilisations sont associées à Paphos ?

Paphos est associé à la civilisation Greek, Roman.

Pourquoi Paphos est-il important ?

Paphos is where Mediterranean mythology (Aphrodite’s birth shore) meets measurable urban archaeology—harbour, villas, and sanctuary in one inscribed landscape.

Paphos est-il inscrit au patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO ?

Oui — Paphos est inscrit sur la liste du patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO.

PrécédentPantheon

SuivantParthenon