Pafos distric, is the westernmost city of Cyprus

According to tradition,Nea Pafos (Kato Pafos), was founded by the Trojan War hero Agapenor in 1184 B.C. Archaeological excavations have , to date, not unearthed anything prior than the 4^th Century B.C., and for this reason it has been formulated that Pafos(Paphos) was actually founded by Nicocles King of Pafos.

During the Hellenistic period (332-58 B.C.). Pafos was the main naval and military base of the Ptolemies and experienced great financial growth.

During the Roman period (58 B.C.-330 A.D.). Pafos (Paphos) knew even more glorious days, becoming capital of the whole of Cyprus and receiving the honorary titles of “Claudia”, “Flavia” and others. In 15 A.D., the tawn was razed by and earthquake and the then Emperor of Rome, Octavian August, rebuilt it. In 45 A.D., the Apostles Paul and Barnabas preached Christianity in Pafos. Sergius Paulus was the first Romangovernor to convert to Christianity, and so Pafos became the first Roman province with a Chiristian governor. However, this did not prevent the persecution of the Chiristians of Pafos by the Romans. The catacombs of Ayia Solomoni, at the enterance to the city, are testimony to these persecutions. The earthquakes of 332 and 342 A.D. once again razed the city, and it was not rebuilt. It remained neglected and small in size, and was ravaged during the Saracen raids of Cyprus.

During the Byzantine era (330-1192 A.D.), especially towards the end of the period, Pafos began to regain its significance of old. During the Frankish rule (1192-1489 A.D.), the settlement was moved further north because of the unhygienic climate and was renamed “Ktims”. It is during the Frankish rule that the Pafos fort was built, only to be ruined later by the Venetians and rebuilt by the Ottoman in 1586.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

The      Population of Paphos  in 1891 was 2,800; in 1946 it rose to 5,800, reaching 20,800 in 1982.

The development of tourism in Pafos (Paphos) took place during the last few years. Pafos is superior to other cities and tourist locales in Cyprus due to its cultural background and its natural environment. Pafos possesses a beautiful and picturesque scenery, exquisite beaches, archaeological and historical treasures, small and hospitable villages which retain the traditional architecture and folklore. Its excellent for visitors from the European Union, Russia and Eastern Europe. The mean temperature of Pafos during January is 13.2 c, while in August it rises to 26.7c. the highest temperature recorded during the month of August is 33.5 c.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 7th, 2010 at 12:43 pm and is filed under History. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.