Compared with other great cult centres of Antiquity, such as Delphi or Olympia, the archaeological investigation of the important religious site at Palaepaphos was delayed for a long time. After a three months' campaign of the Cyprus Exploration Fund in 1888, the systematic

[INLINE] Plan of the sanctuary of Aphrodite Click to see a larger photo

excavation of the much delapidated remains was resumed as late as in 1973 under the auspices of the German Archaeological Institute and the University of Zurich. Nine seasons of field work (1973-1975-1979-1993-1995) enabled us to reconstruct the main outlines of the sanctuary's development.

The history of the settlement on the site of Kouklia/Palaepaphos spans a time of nearly 5000 years, from c.2800 B.C. to the present day. In the Sanctuary of Aphrodite an unbroken continuity of cult has been established definitely for more than 1500 years, from the Late Bronze Age (c. 1200 B.C.) to the Late Roman period (end of the 4th century A.D.). There is reason to believe, furthermore, that the cult already originated in the Chalcolithic period. Thus Aphrodite's temple at Palaepaphos represents the sanctuary with the longest cult tradition recorded so far in Cyprus.

In the Late Bronze Age, the dominant position of Palaepaphos in southwestern Cyprus was no doubt enhanced by its sanctuary, which rivalled the great temples of Enkomi of Kition. The first monumental shrine on the site was erected around 1200 B.C.. Plan and evelation of these earliest buildings cannot be reconstructed in every detail, as the Late Bronze Age structures suffered severely in the course of the centuries. But it is certain that the Paphian temple combined a large open temenos with a smaller, covered holy-of-holies. Its architecture represented the Near Eastern type of court sanctuary which occurs together with the typical horns of consecration, stepped capitals, and fine ashlar masonry - on other contemporary Cypriot sites. Palaepaphos is, however, remarkable amongst the Late Cypriot sanctuaries for the monumental character of its megalithic temenos wall and the pillared hall adjoining it to the North. The conical stone symbol of the goddess, depicted later on Hellenistic seal impressions and Roman coins, most likely stood in the centre of the holy precinct.

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