Pathos Historical Sites of Interest

Pathos is considered one of the centers of Mediterranean civilization and has architectural sites, ruins and museums covering over eight thousand years of history. There are attractions you can visit that were built in the Stone Age, in the Hellenistic and Roman times and in the Byzantium period.

Wherever you go in Pathos you can find reminders of the time thousands of years ago when the cult of the goddess Aphrodite flourished in Pathos, as well as important historical sites associated with the spread of Christianity to the Mediterranean and significant sites of political events from Pathos’ six centuries as the capital of Cyprus.

Some of the popular historical sites to visit include:

• Medieval Castle of Pathos – This castle was built as a fort to protect the harbor in Kato by the Byzantines and was rebuilt several times over the years and used as a prison, storage facility for salt and today is a popular tourist destination featuring cultural events and festivals such as the Pathos Aphrodite Festival in September.



• Pathos Archaeological Park includes monuments from prehistoric times, the Roman period and the middle ages. Some of the most impressive artifacts are the complex mosaic floors from the Roman villas located in the Park. Other sites in the Park are the Tombs of the Kings, the Agora, the Asklipieion, the Odeion, and the Saranta Kolones Fortress.
• The Roman amphitheatre at Curium, near Limassol, often features live performances. There are also some beautiful Roman era mosaics and there are many other Roman excavations in the area.
• The Baths of Aphrodite near Polis, according to legend is where the goddess Aphrodite took her beauty baths in a pool in a natural grotto, shaded by a large fig tree.
• Apollo Hylates is located 2.5 kilometers west of the ancient city of Kourion. The sanctuary was an important religious center dedicated to the worship of the God Apollo. The temple, hewn out of the rock, was used from the 8th century B.C. through Roman times and consists of two adjoining, small chambers. There is also a plaza, a central court, baths, a treasure house, a gallery, several courts and the house of the high priest in the complex and cemetery near-by.
• The Panagia Chrysopolitissa church, built in the 13th century, over the ruins of the largest Byzantine basilica on the island, is home to St. Paul’s Pillar, where it is believed Saint Paul was flogged before the Roman Governor Sergius Paulus was converted to Christianity.

• November 4, 2010
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