Cyprus: The Land of Aphrodite

Homeric Hymn  to Aphrodite
Of august gold-wreathed and beautiful Aphrodite
I shall sing, to whose domain belong the battlements
of all sea-laved Cyprus where, blown by the moist breath of Zephyros,
she was carried over the waves of the resounding sea
in soft foam.

Paphos, with it's  mediterranean climate, medieval fort, lively tavernas,  banana plantations,  extensive water sports and charming fishing harbour  is  well  loved by the plethera of tourist that descend upon its welcome shores each summer. However, Paphos' unrivalled pulling power  is  its's universally acknowledged claim to being  the   birthplace of the Greek Goddess of Love and Beauty, Aphrodite.

This summer, I swam along the  shoreline where she was born out of the foam of the sea. Looking across the harbour of Paphos, the beauty associated with the Goddess remains ever present.

'The Birth of Venus'  Botticelli

Aphrodite is a timeless, divine beauty that has captured the imagination of artists throughout history, from classical times to the present day.  Most famously in the marble sculpture 'Aphrodite of Melos' or the 'Venus de Milo', as it is better known. The sculpture was found in 1820 on the Greek island of Melo and is thought to have been created between 130 and 100 bc. It remains the most famous work of ancient Greek sculpture and now stands in the Louvre, in Paris....And it is most definitely on my 'One day' list!

Venus de Milo