Paphos and Its Ancient Odeon
Paphos, on the south-west coast, wears its history openly. The whole town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its most photogenic monument — the restored Roman Odeon — sits within an archaeological park you can walk straight into from the harbour.
The Odeon
The Odeon is a small semicircular theatre built of white limestone blocks, originally used for musical and dramatic performances in the Roman period. Partly reconstructed, it still hosts open-air concerts and shows on summer evenings — sitting on the tiered stone with the sea beyond is a fine way to grasp how the ancient city lived.
The Archaeological Park
The Odeon is one piece of the Kato Paphos Archaeological Park, whose star attractions are the Roman villa mosaics — the Houses of Dionysos, Theseus, and Aion — among the finest floor mosaics in the eastern Mediterranean, vivid with mythological scenes. Nearby stand the Agora, an early basilica, and a lighthouse crowning the low hill.
Around the site
- Paphos Harbour and its medieval castle, a short walk from the park.
- Tombs of the Kings — grand rock-cut burial chambers a little way up the coast.
- Legend ties this coast to Aphrodite, said to have risen from the sea at nearby Petra tou Romiou.
Summer performances
In the warmer months the Odeon returns to something like its original purpose, hosting open-air concerts and theatre under the stars. Checking whether a performance coincides with your visit is worth the effort — experiencing a two-thousand-year-old venue in use is very different from viewing it empty by day.
Visiting well
The park is open-air with little shade, so go early or late in summer, bring water and a hat, and wear proper shoes for the uneven ground. Allow a couple of hours to do the mosaics justice. Paphos pairs its ancient core with a lively harbour and good beaches, making it easy to combine culture and coast in a single day.