House of Dionysos, Paphos, Cyprus

The House of Dionysos is a rich Greco-Roman type building where the rooms were arranged around a central court, which functioned as the core of the house. It seems that the house was built at the end of the 2nd century AD. and was destroyed and abandoned after the earthquakes of the 4th century AD. The House of Dionysus occupies 2000 square metres of which 556 are covered with mosaic floors decorated with mythological, vintage and hunting scenes. The magnificent mosaic decorations and the mythological compositions are the main characteristics of this restored Roman villa and it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Paphos.

References:

Cyprus Department of Antiques

User Reviews

Joao Carlos Vergueiro (9 months ago)
The mosaic pavements of the House of Dionysus, and the surrounding mosaic houses, are among the finest to be found in the Mediterranean and are the top tourist attraction in Paphos. They are part of the larger Paphos Archaeological Site, which spans the western side of the harbor. Discovered accidentally by a farmer ploughing his fields, the mosaic artwork here is excellently preserved, depicting scenes from Greek mythology using vibrant natural limestone colors. One of the most well-known mosaics is found at the back of the house, depicting a Ganymede being taken back to Olympus by an eagle. The most famous mosaic though, is the scene depicting the triumph of Dionysos with the God in a chariot drawn by leopards, while behind him are a gathering of followers engaged in various revelries. In this house, look to the top left for a depiction of Leda and Zeus in the form of a swan. The top right panel shows Dionysos as a baby, accompanied by various nymphs, and the middle panel depicts a beauty contest between sea nymphs of which Aion is the judge. The final picture shows Apollo punishing a foolish man who had challenged the God to a musical duel and lost.

B H (16 months ago)
Great place to visit. Go early and take plenty of water.

Peri Lai (16 months ago)
Breathtaking ancient mosaics

Remote Life (18 months ago)
Very interesting house of Dionysus, something unique.

Tony Jack (2 years ago)
Definitely for the amateur explorer or the curious interested in ancient history. Some of the mosaics on the floors and walls of what were once villas are in good shape with some designs that would go well in any modern villas anywhere. The site is devoid of tall trees and there is hardly anywhere to hide firm the hot sun. Take water with you and there is an entry fee, but at times the kiosk isn't manned. Click like if the comments are useful to you. Enjoy.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Varvara_R

Historic Site of the week

Trinity Sergius Lavra

The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is a world famous spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church and a popular site of pilgrimage and tourism. It is the most important working Russian monastery and a residence of the Patriarch. This religious and military complex represents an epitome of the growth of Russian architecture and contains some of that architecture’s finest expressions. It exerted a profound influence on architecture in Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe.

The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, was founded in 1337 by the monk Sergius of Radonezh. Sergius achieved great prestige as the spiritual adviser of Dmitri Donskoi, Great Prince of Moscow, who received his blessing to the battle of Kulikov of 1380. The monastery started as a little wooden church on Makovets Hill, and then developed and grew stronger through the ages.

Over the centuries a unique ensemble of more than 50 buildings and constructions of different dates were established. The whole complex was erected according to the architectural concept of the main church, the Trinity Cathedral (1422), where the relics of St. Sergius may be seen.

In 1476 Pskovian masters built a brick belfry east of the cathedral dedicated to the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. The church combines unique features of early Muscovite and Pskovian architecture. A remarkable feature of this church is a bell tower under its dome without internal interconnection between the belfry and the cathedral itself.

The Cathedral of the Assumption, echoing the Cathedral of the Assumption in the Moscow Kremlin, was erected between 1559 and 1585. The frescoes of the Assumption Cathedral were painted in 1684. At the north-western corner of the Cathedral, on the site of the western porch, in 1780 a vault containing burials of Tsar Boris Godunov and his family was built.

In the 16th century the monastery was surrounded by 6 meters high and 3,5 meters thick defensive walls, which proved their worth during the 16-month siege by Polish-Lithuanian invaders during the Time of Trouble. They were later strengthened and expanded.

After the Upheaval of the 17th century a large-scale building programme was launched. At this time new buildings were erected in the north-western part of the monastery, including infirmaries topped with a tented church dedicated to Saints Zosima and Sawatiy of Solovki (1635-1637). Few such churches are still preserved, so this tented church with a unique tiled roof is an important contribution to the Lavra.

In the late 17th century a number of new buildings in Naryshkin (Moscow) Baroque style were added to the monastery.

Following a devastating fire in 1746, when most of the wooden buildings and structures were destroyed, a major reconstruction campaign was launched, during which the appearance of many of the buildings was changed to a more monumental style. At this time one of the tallest Russian belfries (88 meters high) was built.

In the late 18th century, when many church lands were secularized, the chaotic planning of the settlements and suburbs around the monastery was replaced by a regular layout of the streets and quarters. The town of Sergiev Posad was surrounded by traditional ramparts and walls. In the vicinity of the monastery a number of buildings belonging to it were erected: a stable yard, hotels, a hospice, a poorhouse, as well as guest and merchant houses. Major highways leading to the monastery were straightened and marked by establishing entry squares, the overall urban development being oriented towards the centrepiece - the Ensemble of the Trinity Sergius Lavra.

In 1993, the Trinity Lavra was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

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