Temple of Aphrodite

Kouklia, Cyprus

The Temple of Aphrodite was officially established by its cult with the construction of a hilltop temple on the important pilgrimage site of Palea Paphos. Although, it is said that the temple was erected in 1500-1300 BC, the idols and coins related to Aphrodite found here date back to 3800 BC. It stood on a knoll about 2 kilometres inland overlooking the sea. Soon, the town of Palea Paphos started forming around the temple.

The sanctuary of Aphrodite was first excavated by the Cyprus Exploration Fund in 1887. It was again explored by the British Kouklia Expedition in 1950-55 and has been dug up by a Swiss-German expedition since 1996. The Temple of Aphrodite is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Paphos.

References:

Comments

Your name

Website (optional)


Address

F612, Kouklia, Cyprus
See all sites in Kouklia

Details

Founded: 1500 BC
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Cyprus

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.sacred-destinations.com
whc.unesco.org

Rating

4.2/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Petra tou Romiou (6,9 km)


Limassol Castle (42,9 km)
Paphos Castle (16,1 km)
Tombs of the Kings (17,2 km)
House of Dionysos (16,4 km)
House of Theseus (16,4 km)
Kourion (29,1 km)
Kykkos Monastery (34,3 km)
Odeon Amphitheatre (16,3 km)
Kolossi Castle (33,3 km)

User Reviews

Mark Hayes (6 months ago)
Nice grounds to visit. A lot of neat architecture and a great location to view the ocean
Helen Whitehouse (6 months ago)
Peaceful... could be very very hot.. Lovely scenery
Barry Roberts (7 months ago)
Beautiful place to enjoy Cyprus history, and ancient Greek ruins.
Stelios Kiliaris (8 months ago)
Very Interesting place. Worth a visit if you’re in Paphos. You get free entrance if you have a Student Card.
Linda White (9 months ago)
Quaint pool. Free is the bonus. You can walk up into the reserve too or take a 4x4.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Best of Middle Rhine Valley, Germany
Photo from Flickr, copyright rick ligthelm

Historic Site of the week

Het Steen

Het Steen is a medieval fortress in the old city centre of Antwerp. Built after the Viking incursions in the early Middle Ages as the first stone fortress of Antwerp, Het Steen is Antwerp's oldest building and used to be its oldest urban centre.

Previously known as Antwerpen Burcht (fortress), Het Steen gained its current name in around 1520, after significant rebuilding under Charles V. The fortress made it possible to control the access to the Scheldt, the river on whose bank it stands. It was used as a prison between 1303 and 1827. The largest part of the fortress, including dozens of historic houses and the oldest church of the city, was demolished in the 19th century when the quays were straightened to stop the silting up of the Scheldt. The remaining building, heavily changed, contains a shipping museum, with some old canal barges displayed on the quay outside.

In 1890 Het Steen became the museum of archeology and in 1952 an annex was added to house the museum of Antwerp maritime history, which in 2011 moved to the nearby Museum Aan de Stroom. Here you’ll also find a war memorial to the Canadian soldiers in WWII.

There are some beautiful plaques on the back side of the Steen Castle at Antwerp. Canadian visitors will especially want to see the plaques thanking the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry for their part in the liberation of Antwerp, in 1944.

At the entrance to Het Steen is a bas-relief of Semini, above the archway, around 2nd century. Semini is the Scandinavian God of youth and fertility (with symbolic phallus). A historical plaque near Het Steen explains that women of the town appealed to Semini when they desired children; the god was reviled by later religious clergy. Inhabitants of Antwerp previously referred to themselves as 'children of Semini'.

At the entrance bridge to the castle is a statue of a giant and two humans. It depicts the giant Lange Wapper who used to terrorise the inhabitants of the city in medieval times.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2019 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.