The original plan of the town was laid out by the Lusignans,  but when the Venetians took over in 1489 they completely renovated the enclosing walls. They lowered the walls but increased the  thickness. Any tour of the fortifications should take into account the great heat of summer and the low parapets everywhere.

The Citadel , also known as Othello’s Tower , should be visited Four great cylindrical towers guard the comes of the Citadel. The carving over the entrance  is an impressive winged lion of St Mark. The great hall is a massive vaulted chamber.

Going clockwise, the Sea Gate and bastion, now a museum. Muskets and swords are displayd next to period dresses finished with fine embroidery.

Three bastions on the south wall lead to the Land Gate, the main entrance to the town.  It is part of the Ravelin.

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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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Limassol Castle

Unassuming from the outside, Limassol Castle stands in a pleasant garden immediately north of the old port. What you see today is a careful restoration of Byzantine foundations, Venetian and Ottoman military adaptations and British colonial –prison architecture . somewhere under the existing walls stood the long-vanished byzantine chapel of Saint George in which, tradition has it, Richard  the Lionheart married Berengaria on May 12, 1191. Anticipating his rout of Isaac,  Richard also had himself crowned king of Cyprus and his bride queen of England , in the presence of assorted Latin clerics and nobility.

The castle shelters the Cyprus Medieval Museum , though the building, with its musty, echoing vaults,air shafts and masonry ribs, it as interesting as the exhibits , most of which are on the upper floor . the emphasis is on metalware, heraldry and sacred art, including bas-reliefs and pottery with Christian designs; the best bits are silver Byzantine plates showing events in the life od David, part of the Lambousa Treasure and a suit of armour from the Lusignan period. When open, the roof terrace and secondary tower afford excellent views over the town.

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Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque

(St Nicholas Cathedral)

Formerly known as  St Nicholas Cathedral, the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque lies-within the hearth of the old walled cıty of Famagusta. Standing strong since the 14th century, the solid foundations of the structure has enabled it to remain a significant reminder of the diversity of cultures that have passed thcyprus throughout  the centuries.

The mosque is comprised of a rectangular body and two towers with minarets. The towers have a bold presence due to the fact that they are visibleucture. The architects  from all parts of the city. The seemingly delicate structure did suffer from damage from the 1571 Ottoman siege and subsequent carthquakes, but it has remained sturdily on its feet, attesting to its true fortitude and resistance.

Inspried by the gothic Rheims Cathedral in France, the western façade truly resembles a medieval European structure. The architects  themselves came from France to design the cathedral, inspried by the magnificence of Famagusta and wishing to create somrthing complementary to its beauty. The construction itself took several decadesö and was built from 1298 until 1326. It is built of brown limestone, just like the city walls of Famagusta, making two harmonious with each other and adding to the town’s elegance.

Only one stained glass window was able to survive the 1571 events, but it is an accurate indication of the intricacy of the cathedral’s design. The window is divided into six parts and resembles a rose, resting high up on the Western facade.

A small Ottoman tomb rest on the left side of the cathedral, dating back to 1700, accompanied by a small shrine. A large tree lives in front of the main door, and is thought to be one of the, if not the, oldest living tree in Northern Cyprus. Thought to have been platted in 1250, the tree is an East Africa fig tree. Situated below one of the Cathedral’s windows is a frieze, illustrating a series of wild animals and foliage. On both sides of the Cathedral-Mopsque, which also provide a pleasant shade from the scorching Cyprus sun.

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Strovolos Hopes For Ayia Paraskevi                                                    courtesy by The Cyprus Weekly

Municipality  Has Asked Archbishop To Reconsider Plans  To Build Massive Church Near Historic Site.

Archbishop Chrysostomos may be having second thoughts about plans to build a new church near the small,historic  church of Ayia Paraskevi close to the Nicosia Hilton hotel , The Cyprus Weekly has learnt.

The plan has raised strong objections from Strovolos municipality which on Wednesday  asked the Archbishop to reconsider. The Greens have also been campaigning against.

“The Church of Ayia Paraskevi has a unique character and beauty not only for the suburb of Strovolos but for the whole municipality. It is already surrounded on two sides by immense bank building and it should remain as it is or be further protected,” said Strovolos Mayor Savvas Eliophotou.

“We had a meeting with Archbishop Chrysostomos on the matter and asked him to reconsider plans to build a new church. His Beatitude did not reject our proposal and my personal view is that he is thinking about it,” he added.

The Cyprus Weekly tried to contact the Archbishop, but he was unavailable  for comment. But other Archbishopric  sources said there was no charge in plan.

“Of course plans are going ahead to construct a new church since Town planning permits have been issued. I was not present at the meeting of the Archbishop with the Strovolos Municipal Council and I don’t know what was said,” said father Ieronymos.

The area of the 400-year-old church of Ayia Paraskevi is designated as an archaeological site in the Nicosia plan. Remains of monastery  cells found on its northern side are in danger of being covered if the new church goes ahead.

Interior Minister Neocles Sylikiotis said his hands were tied since the town planning Department has already issued the required permits.

According to Sylikiotis, to interior Minister has no right to intervene in procedures to issue or withdraw a town planning permit without reason , unless proper procedures had not been followed.

Sylikiotis said, he had asked the town planning Department to issue a report so that he would look into the procedure followed.

The Greens have repeatedly expressed concern over plans to develop that such plans which would turn the historic church into granny flats were incomprehensible.

Grees MP George Perdikis said the Interior Minister should have intervened before the town planning permits were issued.

Traffic and environmental studies should have been carried in an antiquities area, which would have allowed the Interior Minister to withdraw the permit and demand issue be reviewed,he added.

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