Paphos

Discover the history and romance of Paphos, the European Capital of Culture 2017 and birthplace of the goddess Aphrodite.

In Greek, Paphos means «passion» and it is the fourth largest city in Cyprus. According to legend, the ruler of ancient Cyprus Pygmalion, who was also a sculptor, created an extraordinary beauty statue of pink marble. The statue was so beautiful that Pygmalion fell in love with his creation and began to pray the gods to revive it. Aphrodite heard the pain of his heart and relented on him. She revived the statue, so the wife of Pygmalion — Galatea was born. From their union the daughter of Paphos was born, and the city with her name became the city where the goddess Aphrodite was worshiped.

Holidays in this city will leave unforgettable memories and make you come back again and again to the island of love and Aphrodite.