Today we are engulfed by the Greek side of Cyprus’ history. Our first stop was Aphrodite’s Rock, where Aphrodite was born. The beautiful beach that was stopped at was deserving of that title. The ocean colors form a blue radiant with the sky making it impossible to see the horizon. Aphrodite’s rock was a sand grey color, which made it stand out in the water, yet it was also secluded so that you could only see it from a few angles. My biggest takeaway from this spot was the emphasis the Greek people put on beauty. The Greek culture held beauty to be a God, in the form of Aphrodite literally. Yet seeing the beach we visited, along with the rocky coastland, showed me why the Greeks believed in this beauty being personified.
Next, we visited the tomb of kings where the Greeks would bury their dead. I was disappointed by this visit, to be honest, as I did research beforehand on pathos for one of our assignments. I’m not quite sure what I was expecting, but the tomb of the kings is, well, tombs. It was interesting to learn how careful Greeks were in burying their dead, as they thought the dead were affected if they were moved. Thus the Greek culture put a lot of effort into preserving their culture.
Lastly, we visited the house of Diosynous, which was incredible. The house was filled with mosaics depicting Greek myths, and our tour guide knew every word from the stories. It was hard to remember all the stories being told, but what I did take away was how proud the Greek Cypriots are of their history, Especially their Greek history.