Welcome to Geoff & Janice's
All About Paphos Web Site
The Mythology of Paphos
Some of the landmarks associated with Aphrodite include; the large rock that juts from the sea; known as `Petra Tou Romiou' or the Aphrodite Rocks, the sanctuary of Aphrodite at Kouklia Village, the shrine and scene of pagan festivals for thousands, and is her earliest sanctuary, the Baths of Aphrodite at Polis, mythical source of fertility and the Fountain of Love, and Fontana Amorosa, further up the Akamas Peninsula.
The town's name is also linked to the Goddess, for Paphos was the name of the mythological daughter of Venus and Pygmalion.
The town was founded by King Kinyras in 1400 BC and became the capital of Cyprus under the successors of Alexander the Great - the Ptolemy’s.
It continued as the island's first city for more than seven centuries, retaining its importance under Roman rule. Its most famous Governor Sergius Paulus was converted to Christianity by St Paul in 45 AD.