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| TUCKED
AWAY IN THE EASTERNMOST CORNER OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA LIES CYPRUS.
A SOPHISTICATED COUNTRY, WHOSE NINE-THOUSAND-YEAR CULTURAL LEGACY
INFUSES EAST AND WEST. AN HISTORIC ISLAND, THE THIRD LARGEST IN THE
MEDITERRANEAN, WHERE MODERN TRAVELERS RETRACE THE FOOTSTEPS OF FIGURES
AS DIVERSE AS ST. PAUL, ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND LEONARDO DA VINCI.
AND A ROMANTIC ISLAND, ONCE ANTHONY'S GIFT TO CLEOPATRA AND WHERE,
ACCORDING TO MYTHOLOGY, THE GODDESS APHRODITE FIRST EMERGED FROM THE
SEA.
NO
DOUBT THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENT THAT OCCURRED IN ROMAN CYPRUS IS
THE VISIT BY APOSTLES PAUL AND BARNABAS HAVING WITH THEM ST MARK
WHO CAME TO THE ISLAND AT THE OUTSET OF THEIR FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY
IN 45 AD. AFTER THEIR ARRIVAL AT SALAMIS, THEY PROCEEDED TO PAPHOS
WHERE SUBSEQUENTLY THE ROMAN GOVERNOR SERGIUS PAULUS WAS CONVERTED
TO CHRISTIANITY. THUS, CYPRUS BECAME THE FIRSTCOUNTRY IN THE WORLD
TO BE GOVERNED BY A CHRISTIAN RULER. |
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| NICOSIA: The island's capital since the 12th century situated in the heart of the Messaoria plain. The old city with its many quaint and ancient shops is defined by Venetian walls as remnants of their expansion Eastwards.The famous Famagusta Gate from this period still stands proudly creating an memorable entry into the ancient town within. |
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OF
THE OAKS OF BASHAN HAVE THEY MADE THINE OARS; THE COMPANY OF THE
ASHURITES HAVE MADE THY BENCHES OF IVORY, BROUGHT OUT OF THE ISLES
OF CHITTIM. AND
JOSES, WHO BY THE APOSTLES WAS SURNAMED BARNABAS, (WHICH IS, BEING
INTERPRETED, THE SON OF CONSOLATION,) A LEVITE, AND OF THE COUNTRY
OF CYPRUS, HAVING LAND, SOLD IT, AND BROUGHT THE MONEY, AND LAID
IT AT THE APOSTLES' FEET. NOW
WHEN PAUL AND HIS COMPANY LOOSED FROM PAPHOS, THEY CAME TO PERGA
IN PAMPHYLIA: AND JOHN DEPARTING FROM THEM RETURNED TO JERUSALEM. |
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LIMASSOL: Richard the Lion-Heart, leader of the Third Crusade, landed in Limassol to free his betrothed, Berengaria of Navarre held captive by the Byzantine sovereign. City Highlights include: Limassol Castle, which contains the Cyprus Medieval Museum or strolling the stunning 'Cypriot Riviera' beachfront. West of Limassol lies Kolossi Castle, a medieval fortress with imposing tower contained by its walls. This area abounds with Greek and Roman sites. Among them is the Kourion archaeological site, an ancient city-kingdom, where at the ancient Greco-Roman Theater plays and concerts are still performed with the Mediterranean as a backdrop. |
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| LARNACA: One of the oldest, continually-inhabited cities in the world, Larnaka is filled with impressive sights. The Church of St. Lazarus lies near the center of the city. After his resurrection from the dead by Jesus, Lazarus chose to live out his new life as Bishop of Cyprus. He is said to be buried in a crypt under the main altar. Known as Kition in the days of the Old Testament, Larnaka reached its heyday in the 1700's as a commercial center, with the establishment of the consulates. |
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PAPHOS: Pafos is where the Greek goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite, is said to have risen from the waves, the spot marked by Aphrodite's Rock. A place of pilgrimage for the entire Hellenic world. Excavations have also uncovered spectacular mosaics of the Houses of Dionysus, Orpheus and Aion from the 3rd -5th century. Later periods have also left their traces. The Tombs of the Kings, is a series of monumental honeycomb vaults carved into sheer rock for the Ptolemy period nobles. Nearby, the stone pillar where St. Paul, according to tradition, was bound and beaten for preaching Christianity thrusts heavenward. |
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| Southern Cyprus Tourist Board | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| TROODOS: The thick cedar and pine forests of the Troodos region rising to 1,950 meters (6,500 feet), offers an marked contrast to the Mediterranean coast, less than an hour away. The area is resplendent with nature trails with clear signs marking the presence of flora and fauna unique to Cyprus. Nine of Troodos's remarkable painted Byzantine churches have been listed on UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage List. |
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