Paphos Archaeological Park
Paphos Archaeological Park is in Paphos, southwest Cyprus and contains the major part of its ancient Greek and Roman city. The park, still under excavation, is within the New Paphos section of the coastal city.
Its sites and monuments date from prehistoric times through the Middle Ages. Among the most significant remains discovered are four large and elaborate Roman villas; the House of Dionysos, the House of Aion, the House of Theseus and the House of Orpheus, all with well preserved mosaic floors, especially an Orpheus mosaic. In addition, excavations have uncovered an agora, asklipieion, basilica, odeion, a Hellenistic-Roman theatre, and a necropolis known as the "Tombs of the Kings".
New Paphos is one of the three components forming the Paphos archaeological complex inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980 for its outstanding mosaics and ancient remains, as well as its historical religious importance.
History
New Paphos was probably built by Nicocles, the last king of Paphos, at the end of the 4th century BC. By the beginning of the 2nd century BC it became the capital of the island, replacing Salamis during the Hellenistic era under the Ptolemies.Excavations
Polish excavations in Paphos
The archaeological expedition from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology University of Warsaw started work under the direction of Kazimierz Michałowski in June 1965. Marble statues of Asclepius and Artemis were found on the sites in the south-western part of Paphos. Another discovery was a treasure of silver coins from the reigns of Philip III of Macedon and Alexander the Great. The subsequent directors of the Polish expeditions were Wiktor Andrzej Daszewski and Henryk Meyza. Their teams gradually uncovered an enormous antique residence. It was named "Villa of Theseus" because a mosaic depicting the battle between Theseus and the Minotaur was found inside. In 1983, a large mosaic with a depiction of Aion, the god of time and eternity, was discovered in a house which became known as the House of Aion. The excavations also encompass the so-called “Hellenistic” House and the Early Roman House. Apart from archaeological research, the expedition carries out reconstruction and conservation works.In 2011, the Paphos Agora Project was commenced by a team from the Chair of Classical Archaeology, Institute of Archeology of the Jagiellonian University, headed by Ewdoksia Papuci-Władyka. Its main objective was to search for the Hellenistic agora, which was presumably hidden under the Roman one. The new phase of the project began in 2015, with the aim to study and reconstruct the public space of the agora as well as the infrastructure and economic activity of Paphos.
2020 marked the beginning of a joint project of a scientific consortium consisting of the Jagiellonian University, the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology University of Warsaw, and the Warsaw University of Technology. The project, entitled "MA-P Maloutena and Agora in the layout of Paphos: modelling the cityscape of the Hellenistic and Roman capital of Cyprus", is directed by Papuci-Władyka.
Monuments
House of Dionysos
The House of Dionysos is an exceptionally rich villa which occupies of which are covered with mosaic floors decorated with mythological, vintage and hunting scenes. It was named after the god Dionysos who features on several of the mosaics.Its rooms are arranged around a central courtyard, or atrium, which functioned as the core of the house. It was built at the end of the 2nd century AD and was destroyed and abandoned after the earthquakes of the 4th century.
A Hellenistic pebble mosaic representing the mythical sea-monster Scylla from an earlier villa of the 3rd century BC which was found below the Roman villa is on display on site.
House of Aion
The House of Aion is a large villa, in which, three rooms have been excavated by the University of Warsaw. The mosaic floor from the House of Aion is considered one of the most exceptional works of ancient Roman art, if not the only work of its kind, and certainly one of the most enigmatic and most fervently discussed by scholars. It dates from around the mid-4th century AD and is named after the god shown in the middle of the mosaic.The main room was probably a triclinium or reception room. Two smaller rooms had excellent geometric mosaics.
The main mosaic contains 3 horizontal frames with 5 panels all surrounded by a geometric frame.
A villa wall was found collapsed into the adjacent street and has been restored.
House of Theseus
The House of Theseus is an exceptionally large villa and was the residence of the Roman proconsul or governor, and was divided between rooms for official functions and those for private use. Its name derives from the mosaic of Theseus and the Minotaur found in the southeast quarter. The villa covered several insulae of the Hellenistic street plan.It was built in the 2nd half of the 2nd century AD over ruins of earlier houses and was occupied until the 7th century AD. So far only the southern half of the villa has been fully excavated.