Theme Week Cyprus – Paphos

28 August 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, European Union, European Capital of Culture, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  7 minutes

© Anna Anichkova/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Anna Anichkova/cc-by-sa-3.0

Paphos is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos and New Paphos. The currently inhabited city, New Paphos, lies on the Mediterranean coast, about 50 km (31.07 mi) west of Limassol (the biggest port on the island), which has an A6 highway connection. Paphos International Airport is the country’s second-largest airport. Paphos enjoys a subtropical-Mediterranean climate, with the mildest temperatures on the island. Paphos has been selected as a European Capital of Culture for 2017, along with Aarhus. Near Palaepaphos (Old Paphos) at the seaside of Petra tou Romiou is the modern mythical birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, and the founding myth is interwoven with the goddess at every level, so that Old Paphos became the most famous and important place for worshipping Aphrodite in the ancient world. In Greco-Roman times, Paphos was the island’s capital, and it is well known for the remains of the Roman governor’s palace, where extensive, fine mosaics are a major tourist attraction. Paul the Apostle visited the town during the first century AD. The town of Paphos is included in the official UNESCO list of cultural and natural treasures of the world’s heritage.   read more…

Theme Week Cyprus – Geroskipou

26 August 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Agia Paraskevi, a byzantine church © Chell Hill/cc-by-2.5

Agia Paraskevi, a byzantine church © Chell Hill/cc-by-2.5

Geroskipou is a coastal town in Cyprus, east of Paphos. Its current population is approximately 7,800 and it is the second largest municipality in the Paphos District. Geroskipou, with its remarkable five-domed Byzantine church of Agia Paraskevi, and its Folk Art Museum, is a popular tourist destination. It is known especially for the production of Turkish Delight or “lokum”. The town is the only place in the world which has protected geographical indication (PGI) for the popular dessert.   read more…

Theme Week Cyprus – Polis Chrysochous

25 August 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

Polis Beach © ChrisSampson87/cc-by-sa-4.0

Polis Beach © ChrisSampson87/cc-by-sa-4.0

Polis Chrysochous is a small town at the north-west end of the island of Cyprus, at the centre of Chrysochous Bay, and on the edge of the Akamas peninsula nature reserve. It is a quiet tourist resort, the inhabitants’ income being supplemented by agriculture and fishing.   read more…

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