Agia Kyriaki church and Chrysopolitissa Basilica
This site - Agia Kyriaki church and Chrysopolitissa Basilica – is a complex of churches built one above the ruins of the earlier, over a period of 1100 years. Exactly what religious places were built here and when they were destroyed seems the subject of some debate, but everyone agrees that Basilica Chrysopolitissa was built in the 4th century AD, being one of the oldest Christian churches in the world and the largest on the island. It was an impressive building with floors that were decorated with mosaics in floral and geometric patterns and columns that were made out of granite and marble with Corinthian-styled capitals. The basilica was divided into seven aisles with the central nave ending in the east in a double apse. The Basilica appears to have been destroyed at the time of the Arab invasion in 653 AD. The columns and mosaic flooring you see in my photo are part of the remains of the Basilica.
St. Paul and St. Barnabas visited Cyprus in 45 AD (Acts 13 verses 5-12) and converted the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus and he became the first Christian ruler and Cyprus the first Christian country. Tradition has it that St. Paul was scourged in Paphos at the pillar near this church, although there are no historial writings to back this up. Nevertheless, the Agia Kyriaki church [on the right] is often known as “The Church by St. Paul’s Pillar”.
Perhaps because of the legend, this site has had many churches built on it since the first and last one, Agia Kyriaki. There seems to be no consensus of opinion as to exactly what churches and when although it is agreed that Agia Kyriaki was built around 1500 AD on the foundations of an earlier Byzantine church. During this period the island was under the control of the Venetians , previous owners being, amongst others, a Byzantine prince, Isaac Comnenos, King Richrd the Lionheart, the Knights Templar, and the French knight, Guy de Lusignan, sovereign of the “Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem”. But the Ottomans invaded in 1570 bringing the Catholic dominance of the island to an end. Many churches were destroyed or converted into mosques, but perhaps because of the so called connection with St Paul, the ‘church by St Paul’s pillar’ was spared destruction and was named Agia Kyriaki Chrysopolitissa, the Byzantine Cathedral of Kato Paphos.
Regardless of the history, it's a lovely place to walk around in the quiet of the evening.
Agia Kyriaki church and Chrysopolitissa Basilica
This site - Agia Kyriaki church and Chrysopolitissa Basilica – is a complex of churches built one above the ruins of the earlier, over a period of 1100 years. Exactly what religious places were built here and when they were destroyed seems the subject of some debate, but everyone agrees that Basilica Chrysopolitissa was built in the 4th century AD, being one of the oldest Christian churches in the world and the largest on the island. It was an impressive building with floors that were decorated with mosaics in floral and geometric patterns and columns that were made out of granite and marble with Corinthian-styled capitals. The basilica was divided into seven aisles with the central nave ending in the east in a double apse. The Basilica appears to have been destroyed at the time of the Arab invasion in 653 AD. The columns and mosaic flooring you see in my photo are part of the remains of the Basilica.
St. Paul and St. Barnabas visited Cyprus in 45 AD (Acts 13 verses 5-12) and converted the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus and he became the first Christian ruler and Cyprus the first Christian country. Tradition has it that St. Paul was scourged in Paphos at the pillar near this church, although there are no historial writings to back this up. Nevertheless, the Agia Kyriaki church [on the right] is often known as “The Church by St. Paul’s Pillar”.
Perhaps because of the legend, this site has had many churches built on it since the first and last one, Agia Kyriaki. There seems to be no consensus of opinion as to exactly what churches and when although it is agreed that Agia Kyriaki was built around 1500 AD on the foundations of an earlier Byzantine church. During this period the island was under the control of the Venetians , previous owners being, amongst others, a Byzantine prince, Isaac Comnenos, King Richrd the Lionheart, the Knights Templar, and the French knight, Guy de Lusignan, sovereign of the “Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem”. But the Ottomans invaded in 1570 bringing the Catholic dominance of the island to an end. Many churches were destroyed or converted into mosques, but perhaps because of the so called connection with St Paul, the ‘church by St Paul’s pillar’ was spared destruction and was named Agia Kyriaki Chrysopolitissa, the Byzantine Cathedral of Kato Paphos.
Regardless of the history, it's a lovely place to walk around in the quiet of the evening.