Must-seeUNESCO
Palaepaphos: Sanctuary of Aphrodite
One of the most famous sanctuaries of Aphrodite in the ancient world
The story
Palaepaphos, meaning “Old Paphos”, is an ancient city on the site of today’s village of Kouklia. A goddess of fertility was worshipped here. In Cyprus she had been revered since the Neolithic, the Mycenaean Greeks adopted her cult, and later she came to be called Aphrodite. The first sanctuary was built in the Late Bronze Age, the second under the Romans. The cult ended in the fourth century AD, as Christianity spread. In 1980 Palaepaphos and New Paphos became the first sites in Cyprus on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The finds are on display in the local museum, in a wing of the old manor house next to the ruins.
In ancient Cyprus Aphrodite was worshipped, and one of her main sanctuaries stood at Palaepaphos (Kouklia, Paphos District); according to myth, she was born from the sea foam at Petra tou Romiou. Palaepaphos and New Paphos together became Cyprus’s first UNESCO site (1980).
Visiting
According to the Department of Antiquities: open Tuesday to Sunday, 8:30–17:00, closed on Monday; ticket €4.50, including the local museum. Hours depend on the season and change, so check them before you go.
On the way
Photos
Sources
- Department of Antiquities of Cyprus — Palaipafos (Kouklia)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Paphos
- Deputy Ministry of Tourism — New Guide to Cyprus 2026 (Greek), entry «Ιερό της Αφροδίτης στα Κούκλια»
- Deputy Ministry of Tourism (visitcyprus.com) — Sanctuary of Aphrodite
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