We had an amazing day of sightseeing in Paphos! First, we traveled about an hour from Limassol to Aphrodite’s Rock, which was on the way to Paphos. There, we learned about ancient Greek Mythology associated with the birth of Aphrodite. Our guide told us that Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, emerged from the cove next to the rock, and she climbed the rock all the way to the top. Her birth is thought to have been the result of the unification of the sky and the sea. We learned that Aphrodite was forced by her father to marry an older gentleman, whom she did not actually want to marry. She therefore had many love affairs. Her most special affair was with Adonis, a handsome mortal. Unfortunately, Adonis died on a hunting trip. Aphrodite was devastated. There is an urban legend that one can gain some of the beauty of the goddess, if they can find the exact spot where she emerged from the water. However, the task can only be completed during midnight, with a full moon, and with a fully naked body. There were not any takers in our group! Overall, the destination was incredible. The water was bright blue and so was the sky. It was the perfect place to take pictures. 

After visiting Aphrodite’s Rock, we ventured into Paphos. Paphos has a new town as well as an ancient Roman town with mosaics. We visited the mosaics with our guide. She told us that the entire area has been deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We entered into the estate of a wine merchant from Ancient Roman times to see the mosaics. The mosaics were discovered around 1960 when a farmer accidentally ran them over with a tractor. The oldest mosaic was of a female monster. She had a dragon’s tail and was holding three dogs. She was set in the ocean with fish surrounding her. We also saw the mosaic of the Greek God Narcissus. As our guide told us, Narcissus was obsessed with his own image. He would look into the water to see his reflection, and one day, he fell into it. In the main room of the house, there was a mosaic of the Greek God Dionysus, surrounded by geometrical shapes, which were used frequently throughout the entire home. Being that Dionysus is the Greek God of Wine, his image makes sense as a focal point in the home of an affluent wine merchant. Speaking of the geometrical patterns, there were two rooms that featured such art. One had geometric symbols, including the Star of David and the crescent moon. The other had geometric patterns, each slightly different than each other. Back to the Greek Mythology rooms, one myth that stood out to me was that of two young lovers, Pyramus and Thisbe. The two met and fell in love. Their families despised each other, however. Still, they kept seeing each other. One day, Thisbe went to meet Pyramus, but before he could get there, an animal scared her away from the meeting spot. When she ran away, her scarf fell, and the animal took it. When Pyramus arrived, he saw the animal with her scarf. He assumed she was dead, and he killed himself. When she came back and found him dead, she, too, killed herself. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was based on this Greek myth. The last mosaic I would like to discuss was of a peacock. The peacock used to be considered a symbol of Christianity before the cross. The peacock was bright blue. Instead of being made of stones, the blue was glass. 

Once we had seen the mosaics, we were given free time for lunch. I went to a local restaurant and ordered a Greek-style salad. It was delicious! I was able to get some gelato after lunch – pistachio, my favorite flavor. We were also given time to do some souvenir shopping. I went all the way down to the end of the walkway near the ocean and found a craft store. The store had jewelry, kitchenware, and many other items. I opted for the jewelry stand and purchased some gifts for my family. The jewelry featured pearls. There were also many items with the evil eye, which is very popular in Cyprus. It is said to protect one from evil spirits.