Kouklia, the ruins of Old Pafos (Palepafos), has a number of important monuments - all closely quartered and settled on beautiful cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean sea. The most important site is the temple of Aphrodite that not only stood as a beacon and reference point in many seafaring tales, but played an important part in religious ceremonies to the goddess of love and beauty until the dawn of Christianity. Other important structures on the site (displaying the multiple occupations and sovereigns of the island) are the Frankish chateau of Covocle (the Lusignan Manor House) and Encleistra.
Because of the continual occupation of the site - up until the present time - the original structure of Aphrodite's temple is hard to pinpoint. We do know the many rituals and festivals that took place here in honor of the goddess, including the worship of the dynasty of the Kinyrades and the Afrodisia ceremonies.
The mere size of the large capitals, sprawling courtyards and beautiful mosaics give the visitor a sense of the splendor of the temple at its zenith and the rich culture that flourished in its halls. Above are pictures of the remains of the elaborate mosaics and various stone sculpture/columns found at the site.
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| The Lusignan manor house - eventually captured and renovated by the Turks. |
Above is the large Gothic chamber and, along with the chateau as a whole, it is considered one of the most beautiful remnants of Frankish architecture in Cyprus. At the time, the chamber was being prepared for a musical performance that evening...since no one was there... I decided to test out the keys. The acoustics were amazing!
The other picture is of the conical stone - serving as the cult idol of Aphrodite in the sanctuary. It might seem a foreign concept to many of us, but Aphrodite was worshiped through that of a stone rather than a statue - a practice influenced by Eastern tradition.
