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:

paphos.com

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
whc.unesco.org

Rating

4.3/5 (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

PT B (2 months ago)
Fabulous site. Temple ruins, indoor museum and an extra mosaic. We went on a summer Sunday and it was quiet, just a few locals visiting.

BARTOSZ Radojewski (2 months ago)
It's the best idea to visit the place early, before it gets hot and overcrowded. The place itself is nice but the museum is the highlight. Especially the building with its crusader vaults and the view of the coast. A bust for imagination.

Ayman El Baitam (2 months ago)
The site is listed on UNESCO World Heritage List. Lots of things to explore, including things mentioned in Homer’s writings.

Diana Higgins (4 months ago)
Fabulous place Highlight were the mosaics, out of this world. Large site The guide accessed via QR code was well worth downloading. Excellent resource, which really helped your understanding of what you were viewing. It's quite easy to walk round looking but not seeing. The guide helps you focus and see. Excellent place to visit

Tom (Bozz) (7 months ago)
Not much remains of what once would've been an impressive site. Still, the musuem itself is worth visiting if passing by. Few good lunch eats in the town, solid detour

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