Soutern Cyprus winter holiday 2010

sunset from TriVista villa

a very cold pool

tombs of the kings

tombs of the kings

The Tombs of the Kings are an early necropolis in Paphos dating from 300 BC. The site was the final resting place of about 100 Ptolemaic aristocrats who lived and died in Paphos beginning in the 3rd century BC. Early antiquarians dubbed the site the "Tombs of the Kings" due to the impressiveness of the tombs, and the name has stuck. The catacombs were later used by early Christians, and one of the tombs was turned into a chapel. The site was looted long before excavation began in 1977.   (sacred destinations.com)

little harbor where we found lunch

Zane and Drew

Akamas gorge

Akamas gorge

Aphrodite's rock

Its Greek name is Petra tou Romiou or ‘The Rock of the Greek’.Legend has it that Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, rose from the waves in this strikingly beautiful spot. There are several versions of the story of the goddess's birth, but the most famous is that Aphrodite rose naked from the sea on a scallop shell. Blown by the wind, Aphrodite's first stop was on the island of Cythera, but this was such a tiny island that Aphrodite kept moving and eventually got to Cyprus, where she began li
ving in Paphos. (exclusively cyprus.com)

 

The spot was immortalized for modern culture by Botticelli's 15th century painting.

Kourion

Zane and Drew at Kourion

 Looking out over the Mediterranean from its cliff top, Kourion is the most spectacularly located ancient site in Cyprus. First settled by the fierce Mycenaeans, the city reached its apogee in Roman times, as evidenced by remnants of the empire such as its great stadium, theatre and lavish public baths. As in many of Cyprus’s greatest ancient cities, the cults of Aphrodite and Apollo thrived here, and both of these Hellenistic deities have shrines here. Wandering through Kourion’s ruins, it is not hard to imagine the city as it must once have been: one of the jewels of Rome’s eastern possessions, until its destruction by an earthquake in 365 AD.(DKGuide)

Kykkos Monestery

Goats at Akamas gorge

There was a fully gold plated alter , no pics aloud.  This is just outside and is equally beautiful. 

happy boy after a refreshing dip

Nicosia and Efes