[9] The current city of Paphos lies on the Mediterranean coast, about 50 km (30 mi) west of Limassol (the biggest port on the island), both of which are connected by the A6 highway.

Paphos is the most active seismic region in Cyprus based on the historical data of events with evidence of a number of strong earthquakes, some of which caused severe damage, loss of life and tsunamis.

The daimon of the goddess entered into the statue, and the living Galatea bore Pygmalion a son, Paphos, and a daughter, Metharme.

Cinyras, debated as to if he is the son of Paphos[19] or Metharme's suitor, founded the city under Aphrodite's patronage and built the great temple to the goddess there.

[20] Old Paphos (Palaepaphos), now known as Kouklia (Greek: Κούκλια; Turkish: Kukla or Konuklia; French: Covocle) (Engel, Kypros, vol.

The founding myth is interwoven with the goddess such that Old Paphos became the most famous and important place for worshipping Aphrodite in the ancient world.

[24] The Greek names of two ancient kings, Etevandros and Akestor, are attested in Cypriot syllabary on objects of seventh century BC found in Kourion.

The temenos was well established before the first structures were erected in the Late Bronze Age: There was unbroken continuity of cult from that time until 391 AD when the Roman Emperor Theodosius I outlawed all pagan religions and the sanctuary fell into the ruins in which we find it today.Old Paphos was the centre of worshipping Aphrodite for the whole Aegean world.

23) relates that it was restored by Augustus, and called "Augusta" in his honor; but though this name has been preserved in inscriptions, it never supplanted the ancient one in popular use.

[37] According to the biblical Acts of the Apostles, after landing at Salamis and proclaiming the Word of God in the synagogues,[38] the prophets and teachers, Barnabas and Saul of Tarsus, traveled along the entire southern coast of the island of Cyprus until they reached Paphos.

Under this name the historian included the ancient as well as the more modern city: and among other traits of the worship of the temple he records that the only image of the goddess was a pyramidal stone.

In addition, excavations have uncovered an Agora, Asklepion, the Basilica of Panagia Limeniotissa, a theatre, and a necropolis known as the Tombs of the Kings.

The city and district continued to lose population throughout the British colonial period and many of its inhabitants moved to Limassol, Nicosia and overseas.

Ktima is the main residential district while Kato Paphos, by the sea, is built around the medieval port and contains most of the luxury hotels and the entertainment infrastructure of the city.

It was rebuilt by the Lusignans in the 13th century before being dismantled in 1570 by the Venetians, who were unable to defend it against the Ottomans who restored and strengthened it after capturing the island.

Among the treasures unearthed near Paphos are the mosaics in the Houses of Dionysos, Theseus and Aion, preserved after 16 centuries underground; vaults and caves; the Tombs of the Kings; and the pillar to which Saint Paul was said to have been tied and whipped and the ancient Odeon Theatre.

The Greek name, Petra tou Romiou is associated with the legendary frontier-guard of Byzantine times, Digenis Acritas, who kept the marauding Saracens at bay.

Four kilometres (2.5 miles) north of Paphos is the village of Lemba (Lempa), home to numerous artists, many of whom have open studio shops.

It is home to the sculpture known as the Great Wall of Lempa by the Cypriot artist Stass Paraskos and the Cyprus College of Art.

Off the coast of Paphos is the wreck of M/V Demetrios II which ran aground on 23 March 1998 in heavy seas during a voyage from Greece to Syria with a cargo of timber.

Local authorities are hesitant to remove the ship from the rocks due to the fact that the coastline is a protected natural park where turtles nest and endemic plant and animal species thrive.

Heatwaves in July and August are relatively common, when hot air masses from the Sahara desert drift over to Cyprus causing temperatures to rise.

The problems exist because some planned road links remain on paper, including: Buses in Paphos are operated by Osypa.

Paphos is known for its cultural and historical interests, including the Tomb of the Kings, Mosaics, castle and numerous churches, though it is also popular for its festivals and annual events.

In 2012, Paphos won the title as European Capital of Culture 2017, under the Executive Direction of Ektor Tsatsoulis and the Artistic Director Spyros Pisinos.

It started off with the Opening Ceremony that gave the chance for many artistic people to shine such as modern and contemporary dance groups, the Music School of Pafos and last but not least Alkistis Protopsalti.

During that year, multiple cultural events, such as the Europakonzert 2017 featuring the Berliner Philarmoniker and the famous Yamato Taiko Drum Ensemble performance, took place across the town of Paphos each month.

Pafos after its magnificent Closing Ceremony in December 2017, where Giannis Kotsiras and Yasmin Levi have performed, has officially passed on the baton of the title of European Capital of Culture to Valletta in Malta and Leeuwarden in the Netherlands.

Paphos has a long history in sports with several football, basketball, volleyball teams, including Pafos FC.

The Pafian gymnastic club is called Korivos, and it owns (via the Cyprus Athletic Organisation) the local Aphroditi Sports hall and the Stelios Kyriakides Stadium, named after Stylianos Kyriakides (Greek: Στυλιανός Κυριακίδης; 1910–1987), a marathon runner from the nearby village Statos, who won the 1946 Boston Marathon.