Archaeological Site of Nea Paphos

The site is huge, situated right by the harbour. And the best bit? We got in for free, being of a certain age! 🤣🤣

On a boiling hot day this was a general view of the site...

...with the lighthouse as a backdrop.

The mosaic floors were in the House of Dionysus...

...named after the god and depicted in several rooms.

There are walkways all around to protect the mosaics, created around the 2nd/4th Centuries 

Moving on to the Forty Columns Fort.

Originally constructed in the late 7th Century to protect Paphos from Arab invasions...

...there have been many versions.

For us it felt great to be able to wander around and guess what everything used to be...

...some more obvious than others!

From there we walked to the Roman Odeon

The small amphitheatre was built in the 2nd Century...

...with some fine features still to be seen.

The amphitheatre was built for musical and dramatic events, and still used for such in modern times.

Old Paphos

We heard that there were celebrations for Greek Independence Day in Old Paphos, so on a very hot day we climbed up the hill.

The view was well worthwhile

The procession was long with representatives from local schools, colleges and groups.

It was great to see traditional dress...

...and traditional marching music.

Just by our viewing point, the Agios Kendeas Church

Walking back down we discovered the Church of Agia Sofia (now the Cami-i Kebir Mosque)...

...and a Hammam.

It didn't look to be in use these days...

...so this statue would have a long wait.

Famagusta & Varosha

The highlight of our excursion was to visit Varosha. But first Famagusta, the walled city situated in the Turkish occupied territories.

The old Cathedral of Saint Nicolas, now the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque

Part of the Venetian Palace ruins...

...and part of the medieval Church of Saints Peter & Paul.

We also found a little bistro with a couple of drinks...

...and a very persistent cat, hinting at being fed!

Varosha is an area of Famagusta and is now sometimes know as a ghost town.

Rather than go into details here, browse through this link: https://www.cwu.edu.tr/famagustas-ghost-town-varosha/

There are safety signs everywhere...

...warning you to keep away.

Varosha was a bustling town until 1974...

...so over 50 years of dereliction...

...this crane still standing.

There aren't many takers at the King George Hotel...

...or the White Horse Inn.

The seafront with its many high-rise apartments & hotels, now abandoned.

Although not a particularly good read (in my opinion) Victoria Hislop's 'The Sunrise' really sets the scene when the Turkish took over the area, and families were forced to leave.

Salamis & Agios Sergios

We did a couple of day excursions whilst in Paphos.

First stop Salamis...

...with its ancient theatre.

Our guide then took us to Agios Sergios  in Turkish Cyprus.

There we walked around beautiful ruins of an iron-age city.

I'll let the photos do the talking.