Paphos – Tomb of the Kings

Good news today, slightly overcast and cloudy, which may seem a strange statement when you are on holiday in Cyprus, but let me assure you this is what you need if you are going to spend an hour or so walking around the “Tomb of the Kings.

If you like a bit of culture, it is a must if you are in the Paphos area, but if it is a typical hot Cyprus day, carry plenty of water.

The price to get in is very reasonable for these type of places at only 2.50 Euros, and I defy you to see the lot in less than an hour. You may feel that once you have seen one you have seen them all, but there is just something about the place that gets you thinking.

OFFICIAL JARGON

The underground tombs, many of which date back to the 4th century BC, are carved out of solid rock, and are thought to have been the burial sites of Paphitic aristocrats and high officials up to the third century AD (the name comes from the magnificence of the tombs; no kings were in fact buried here). Some of the tombs feature Doric columns and frescoed walls. Archaeological excavations are still being carried out at the site. The tombs are cut into the native rock, and at times imitated the houses of the living.
Although the tombs have been known and casually explored for centuries, they were first subjected to systematic excavation in the later 1970s and the 1980s under the direction of Dr Sophocles Hadjisavvas, former Director of Antiquities of the Republic of Cyprus.
Dr Hadjisavvas is preparating the finds for publication with assistance from the Australian archaeological mission to Paphos.
Part of the importance of the tombs lies in the Paphian habit of including Rhodian amphorae among the offerings in a burial. Through the manufacturing stamps placed on the handles of these amphorae, it is possible to give them a date and, through them, the other material from the same burial.