On Sunday the 7th June 2026 we left our apartment after breakfast and walked up to the Pafos FC shop on the roundabout of King of The Tombs Avenue , but it is now permanently closed.
So from there we crossed the road to visit the Tomb of the Kings.
It is only 2 and a half euros each entry, very good value!
The Tombs of the Kings s a large necropolis about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north of Paphos harbour in Cyprus. In 1980, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with Paphos and Kouklia
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 Paphian aristocrats and high officials up to the 3rd century AD (the name comes from the magnificence of the tombs; no kings were 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.
The tombs have been known and casually explored for centuries. The oldest modern account was written by Richard Pockocke, in 1783. Almost a century later, in 1870 the first archaeological excavations were conducted by Luigi Palma di Cesnola, the American consul to Cyprus. In 1915 the first excavations under scientific supervision took place, led by Menelaos Markides, the curator of the Cyprus Museum. Systematic excavations took place in the late 1970s and the 1980s under the direction of Sophocles Hadjisavvas, former director of the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus.
Dr Hadjisavvas has completed the first volume of the final publication report under the title: Tombs of the Kings, The Ptolemaic Necropolis of Pafos, Volume 1, Excavation Seasons 1977-1981, published by the Cyprus Department of Antiquities. The publication focuses on the connection of Tomb 8 to the Ptolemaic dynasty, more concretely to the burial of the last king of Cyprus, who committed suicide after the Romans occupied the island. 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.
Thus, it is hoped to develop a more secure chronology for archaeological material in the Eastern Mediterranean of the Hellenistic and early Roman periods.
It is reported that much of the information related to the tombs was lost over time. Several factors contributed to that: It is believed that many of the tombs were rich in expensive grave goods, even though very few of such goods were found by the official archaeological missions, and thus it is believed that grave robbers were responsible. Also, the tombs’ proximity to the seaside hindered the preservation of the buried bodies. Despite these obstacles, the historical significance of the tombs is well established among experts and locals.
This is a seriously cool place to visit but man was it hot walking about there!
These fascinating and unusual facts make this ancient site stand out:
Zero Royalty: The name is actually a grand misnomer. The title "Kings" was given to the site by antiquarians purely because of its sheer size, colossal scale, and monumental beauty.
Built to Mimic "Living" Homes: The ancient builders followed Egyptian beliefs that the dead's dwelling should be as impressive as a living person's home. Many tombs were built to imitate the architecture of luxurious Greek houses, featuring open-air, central peristyle atriums.
Macedonian Architecture in Cyprus: The underground courtyards and architectural layouts are strikingly similar to Macedonian tombs and those found in Alexandria, Egypt.
Greek Parthenon Style in a Cemetery: Some of the rock-carved tombs feature elegant Doric pillars, nearly identical in style to the pillars on the Parthenon in Athens.
A Former Ancient Quarry: Long before it became a "City of the Dead," the site was extensively used as a rock quarry to supply building materials for the ancient city of Nea Paphos.
Visitors can wander down into the depth of these, mostly subterranean, rock tombs and view the atriums which still survive. The architecture of these tombs is quite impressive, some seeming more like houses than burial places.
The seven excavated tombs are scattered over a wide area. The third is the most impressive and has an open atrium below ground level, surrounded by columns. Other tombs have niches built into the walls where bodies were stored.
Sadly, very few of the frescoes which would once have adorned them survive, but you can see fragments here and there. What can still be seen are the structures of the tombs, their columns and porticos.
We leave The Tomb of the Kings and catch a bus to Kings Avenue Mall to visit the Pafos Fc shop fopr George to purchase a Pafos FC Pennant and then we left and caught another bus to visit Riccos Beach and bar.
After a bit of a journey we arrive at Ricco's Beach bar and hire some sunbeds and beer.
The Geroskipou Municipal Beach, also spelled “Yeroskipou,” traces its roots back to Ricco’s Bar, which opened in 1975. The bar still stands – a lifestyle institution of sorts at the shores of the sea. It’s a perfect setting for all kinds of outings. The family owning the place planted the trees that currently offer their generous shade over the sands and make the beach look like a lush Mediterranean paradise. They watched them grow over the years, and, due to the bar’s increased appeal, the local authorities, decided to develop and modernize the beach, depositing tons of sand on the rocky shorelines and building breakwaters to keep their new creation safe against the rage of the waves.
I had one last swim as we are off home tomorrow!
Well that was that, bus back to the apartment. Nap then out for dinner and down to watch another sunset but clouds put pay to that. But all in all a great Holiday and loved Cyprus!
