The Birthplace of Aphrodites

If history is your thing, Cyprus is a must.

With Greece, Turkey, Italy and the Holy Land forming the usual circuit for admirers of modern civilisation's cultural roots, it is easy to miss one of the Mediterranean's jewels of the cultural tour Cyprus.

Cyprus once called Cyprium, due to the fact that 3000 years before Jesus Christ, the civilised inhabitants were mining and smelting copper.

Cyprus has been invaded populated and divided by many invading empires around 1000BC many of the Trojan War victors populated the island, 9000 years later the island was split into 10 kingdoms and the cult of Aphrodite ruled Cyprus. Then the Assyrians from Iraq, Ptolemys from Egypt, and the Persians all put their stamp on the landscape.

Then of the notables Alexander the Great took control then the Roman's, closely followed by the coming of Christianity. Lazarus who died and returned to life arrived in Cyprus in 33AD.

During the Crusades, Richard the Lionheart landed to marry his fiancee Berengaria of Navarre, after she had been shipwrecked off the coast of Lemesos in 1191, during this time she was mistreated by emperor Isaac Comnenus, who later suffered the wrath of Richard.

After exchanging vows Richard promptly attacked. Isaac agreed to surrender on the condition he not be bound in irons, so Richard obliged by lashing the tyrant in chains of silver instead.

What To See:

Lionheart left his mark at the Cypriot port of Lemesos in the form of Kolossi Castle, a fortification built by the Knights of St John in the 1200s with walls of stone three metres thick.

The fortification contains a myriad of artefacts, weapons, statues and pottery, and was also the place the Knights brewed their famous Commandaria, the forerunner to port.

The ancient city of Kourion, with its marvellous Greco-Roman semi-circular amphitheatre, with its well preserved mosaics and spectacular views over the Mediterranean. The city was built in 200 BC, and the amphitheatre is still used today for concerts, also nearby is the Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates.

Up the coast, past Paphos is the goddess's birthplace, a huge rock rises out of the sea. It is said Aphrodite emerged from the waters as a result of the castration of her father by the titan, Cronus.

The legend goes that if one swims around Aphrodite's rock three times at midnight, the goddess will bequeath upon you the gift of eternal youth.

By complete contrast Cyprus also contains the modren sprawling beachside resorts, restaurants, archeological dive sites and the divided city of Lefkosia, where you can enter Turkish-controlled territory and wander around a city of mosques and minarets.

The Turkish situation is still a sore point so visitors are advised not to enter into discussions about the war or the occupation.

Getting There

Flights to Larnaca or Paphos are readily available and most travel operators have package deals to the island flying from all UK airports.

Packages: Hotel stays and touring packages are available through all tour operators. Hotel rates start from £30 per night person in Larnaca, £120 in Paphos. Most packages, including accommodation, transport and sightseeing. Packages can combine the main attractions in Cyprus with Lebanon, Egypt or Rhodes or Israel.

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