IDEALLY, a good day out should combine a reasonable feeding of the mind and spirit and the perfect opportunity to rack up a few rolls of film or batch of digital images. These can later be admired, either after the holiday or to use as triggers for the old memory bank. This latter use is an essential aid for those who live here permanently and who have guests who inquire over breakfast “where are you taking us today?”
This week’s trip starts off in the village of Yeriskipou in Paphos, with a visit to the lovely Ayia Paraskevi church in the middle of the square. This is claimed to be one of the finest examples of a 10th century church, and it=s a structure that fairly ripples with architectural marvels. These include a nave and two aisles, along which are dotted delicious frescoes dating back to the 15th century. But the main source of admiration has to be the five domes that rise like a clutch of large village ovens from the roof of the building.
The Ayia Paraskevi church is a must for those who fancy a trip back in time, but it’s also for folk who appreciate strolling round a building which has been the centre of local worship for eons — and today it is still regarded as the holiest place to mark local matches, hatches, and dispatches.
Having experiencing your spiritual intake for the day, you may like to visit the coffee shop directly opposite the church for a well-earned beverage: the chap who serves you is also a bit of an expert on the church, and he can fill you in on more lore.
If smitten by the need to buy an icon, next door to the coffee shop is an icon restoration shop which sells the best reasonably priced examples of the saints and their vivid images. This place is well worth a visit anyway, even if only to buy a blessed batch of beeswax candles, or an equally well-covered St Christopher image to staple firmly to your car dashboard.
Moving on down the old road to Limassol in the direction of Paphos airport, you will pass the experimental farms on your right: continue on until you see the turn off to Kouklia. Taking the left hand turn, you then make a swift right and drive along until you come to The Sanctuary of Aphrodite. Here you park under the shade of the trees and make your way to the impressive Lusignan Manor, which houses a collection of artefacts from the cult of Aphrodite.
In anyone’s book Aphrodite was some lady, although I do have my doubts about her toilet habits B it is said that she only bathed in the baths of Aphrodite which are situated in Latchi. In her day this would have been about a four-day trek across the hills, so one has to wonder whether she was indeed such a scented maiden at all times.
Mind you, there is a large stone hip bath in the museum, which even has a lip which acts as a soap holder. So perhaps the goddess did boil up the water come Friday night and have a swift interim ablution after all. Standing on this site, which has existed for more than 5,000 years, despite the ravages of time and innumerable earthquakes, one is immediately struck by the piles of pillars that lie around or are propped casually up against walls. With very little imagination, it is easy to visualise the sheer sumptuousness that once was; this place was renowned throughout the ancient world not only for its antiquity and fabulous wealth — a veritable Palace of Versailles of its time — but it was also one of the great religious centres of the Greek and Roman world.
Here were acted out a blend of age-old Aegean and Oriental rites in the dubious longest-running cult ceremonies recorded so far in Cyprus. It was all in the name of the Goddess Aphrodite, the cool chick who put the A in Paphos and probably a great deal more besides. Only a sense of discretion prevents me from giving too detailed an explanation of her exceedingly busy sex life, but let’s just say that if the tabloid press had been around in those days, our gal would have been on the front page every day.
This site is worth more than a quick half-hour visit before moving on: one should relish the setting of Kouklia, and the peace and calming effect of all that history beneath the feet. It’s a good picnic spot where families can come and just chill out, and for the people of the area to rediscover their ancient roots.
One chap who will always welcome you is the diminutive caretaker of the tiny little church of Panayia Katholiki opposite the sanctuary. This man exemplifies the image of a person well at peace with his lot. But be warned — he is also a keen conversationalist. So do try to make time for him and his stories of sightings, weird happenings, and tales of things that go bump in the night at the ancient site.
If you haven’t come prepared with a full picnic basket, then I recommend you drive a few minutes up the road to Kouklia village and park behind the church in the main square. The Diarizos tavern is a jolly good bet, and for a lighter toasted snack and salad job, then any of the four cafιs spread around the square will happily compete to serve you a tasty snack and a welcoming glass of cool beer.
Then it’s home back the way you came for a well-earned afternoon siesta and perhaps the odd dream about Aphrodite and all the wonderful things that happened to her after her Badedas bath experience … [email protected]
