Kouklia
Encyclopedia
Kouklia is a village in the Paphos District
, about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) from the city of Paphos
on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus
. The village is built in the area of "Palaepaphos" (Old Paphos), mythical birthplace of Aphrodite
, Greek goddess of love and beauty. The foundation myth is interwoven with Aphrodite at every level, such that Old Paphos became the centre for her worship in the ancient world.
The residents of Palaepaphos, particularly in Kouklia, worshipped a goddess of fertility who protected life from as early as the Chalcolithic period (3900–2500 BC). They depicted her as a woman with the obvious characteristics of maternity and modelled figurines of her in stone or clay, of which the larger ones became objects of adoration and their smaller counterparts were worn around the neck as amulets. Others were placed in graves to protect the dead. From this, it appears that adoration of a goddess of fertility began in the region of Paphos. In addition, the myth that Venus
(known as Aphrodite
in Greek) was born on the coast of Cyprus may be connected to the adoration of this fertility goddess.
From the 12th century BC onwards, adoration of this goddess becomes particularly resplendent. It appears that before the arrival of Achaeans, Palaepaphos was already a rich city with an ornate holy altar dedicated to the goddess. Tradition holds that King Kinyras
of Paphos was both very rich and a priest of Venus. Another legend relates that Agapinoras, king of Tegea
and Arcadia
, came to Paphos after the Trojan War
and founded both the city and the holy altar of Venus. The Greeks, seemingly impressed by the greatness of the goddess of Paphos, built a large altar dedicated to her, parts of which still survive.
A temple was never built for the goddess. Instead, the holy altar stood in the open air, encircled by walls and fitted with brightly coloured doors, according to Homer
. She was not worshipped as a statue, but rather in the form of conical stone. The ancients report it as something strange, "a white pyramid which the material is not known". This symbolic stone existed at Paphos from ancient times and, as the adoration of standing stones is a feature of eastern religions, the nearby Petra tou Romiou
(Aphrodite
's rock) may be responsible for the creation of the myth that she was born here.
This conical stone was found near the holy altar and is now on display at the Kouklia Museum. However, the stone is black whereas the ancients described it as white, although it may have become tarnished over the centuries. The stone remained in the holy altar site until the arrival of the Romans who placed it in the middle of a tripartite open building. The altar was already well known by the time of Homer as a location for burning incense. It was claimed that so marvellous was the altar that when it rained the stone did not become wet.
There were also votive pillars
bearing symbols of the horns of a bull, and columns in the form of a tree of life
. Various buildings serving the needs of the holy altar, and accommodation for the priest of the goddess and his entourage also existed on the site. A holy garden is also likely to have existed from which the nearby village of Yeroskipou
takes its name. This was probably filled with trees and bushes dedicated to Venus, and with birds such as pigeons, which were beloved by the goddess. Representations on ancient vessels depict people amongst bushes, flowers and birds. Worship of the goddess was led by a priest who directed the ceremonies. Some sources claim that the first priest was Cinyras
. His descendants continued as priests and were buried in the precincts of the holy altar. It is also known that later kings of Paphos were simultaneously priests. Tacitus
however, relates in his Histories
that the site was founded by King Aerias.
In a practice originating with eastern religions to honour Astarte
, "holy marriages" may have taken place whereby a priest married a female priest to ensure the continued fertility of the earth and people. An idea of what the goddess looked like can be gathered from recovered archeaological relics which show present a richly embellished woman. The adoration of Venus was particularly intense in the ancient period with religious ceremonies depicted on artifacts such as vases or bronze vessels. Offerings to Venus are described by ancient writers as tobacco or balm from Myra
in present day Turkey
. The faithful also brought pies made with flour and oil and libations produced from honey. Tree branches were favoured by the goddess so devotees brought "myrsini", flowers, windflowers and roses, because they derived from the blood of Adonis
and the teardrops of Venus.
Conflicting information exists as to whether animal sacrifices took place at the site with some sources claiming that the altar of the goddess was not wetted with blood and that pigs were never sacrificed because Venus hated the animals following the killing of Adonis by a wild boar. Others insist that pigs were sacrificed.
Followers sometimes dedicated objects that depicted worshippers or the goddess herself, either in the form of a richly dressed woman or a naked Astarte. Others dedicated columns decorated with signs, statues, precious gifts and gold. Records show that the holy altar of Venus was richly endowed and that the Romans took many of its treasures to Rome
.
The Ptolemaioi and the Romans attempted to import adoration of emperors and other gods in order to glamorise the holy altar. Currency of the time shows the holy altar with the conical stone still in place.
Every year, men and women from all over Cyprus organize musical, theatrical, poetic and athletic events from the harbor of New Paphos to Palaepaphos. For many centuries, the goddess was worshipped at Palaepaphos because people believed in her enormous power and were convinced she gave life and protection. Nevertheless, they knew that she could also be malicious if they failed to respect her.
Adoration of the goddess lost its attraction with the rise of Christianity
. From the 2nd century onwards the altars of the goddess were gradually abandoned. Major earthquakes in the 4th century destroyed the holy altar and its "idolatrous" building materials were then used to construct great royal edificea.
In 1881, Kouklia's population was 404 and rose to 520 in 1921. By 1946, that number had increased to 791 (437 Greek Cypriots
and 354 Turkish Cypriots
) and by 1973 to 1,110 (613 Greek Cypriots, 494 Turkish Cypriots). Following the Turkish invasion
in 1974, Turkish Cypriot inhabitants of the village, under the influence of their political leaders, left the village and moved to the occupied regions
. In 1976, the population of Kouklia was 732, which subsequently decreased to 681 in 1982 and 669 in 2001.
The village stands in the area of "Palaipafos" (Old Pafos), the seat of the kingdom of Pafos, which was one of the most important ancient kingdoms of Cyprus.
Under the Byzantine Empire
(c. 306–1453) the village was most probably the property of the Byzantine officer known as the Kouvikoularios. In Greek, the word kouvouklion means sepulchral chamber but also can also mean the dormitory of the Byzantine emperors. Bodyguards of the Byzantine Emperors who guarded the imperial dormitory were termed kouvikoularioi, and were often granted land as a reward for their services. One such kouvikoularios is likely to have become the master or owner of the village thus it was named Kou(vou)klia. Alternatively, if Kouklia was not the property of a kouvikoularios then it was probably an area dotted with country houses for Byzantine officials.
The village retained the name "Kouvouklia" until the advent of Frankish
domination in the 12th century and was abbreviated to "Kouklia". De Masse Latri reports that during the Frank domination
era, the village was a large royal estate where sugar cane was cultivated.
During the Ottoman period
, Kouklia was confiscated by the new conquerors and became a manor.
varieties), bananas, various citrus fruits, avocados, apricots, kiwis, olives, locust beans, legumes, peanuts, and a large variety of vegetables are cultivated on the village's fertile land. The Randi Forest in the south-east as well as part of the Oriti Forest in the north-east fall within Kouklia's administrative boundaries. Animal husbandry is well developed in the community. Palm trees are planted in the main-street at the entrance to the village.
site, the archaeological discoveries of the area, the proximity to Aphrodite Hills
Resort and the elevated views of the sea all make Kouklia a popular tourist destination.
There are also a police station, a health centre, and a state-owned nursery (greenhouse).
In the village plaza, there are several coffee-houses and taverns. The church of the Apostle and Evangelist Luke stands in the central plaza.
Inhabitants of the village are known for their piety and respect for the sacred and holy chapels or ruins of chapels.
Christos Miltiadous is the current Mayor of Kouklia.
Most villagers work in agriculture, some in tourism related activities, while others are employed at the Aphrodite Hills
Resort complex.
Paphos District
Paphos District is one of the six districts of Cyprus and it is situated in the western part of Cyprus. Its main town and capital is Paphos. The entire district is controlled by the internationally recognized government of Cyprus...
, about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) from the city of Paphos
Paphos
Paphos , sometimes referred to as Pafos, is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos and New Paphos. The currently inhabited city is New Paphos. It lies on the Mediterranean coast, about west of the...
on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. The village is built in the area of "Palaepaphos" (Old Paphos), mythical birthplace of Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
, Greek goddess of love and beauty. The foundation myth is interwoven with Aphrodite at every level, such that Old Paphos became the centre for her worship in the ancient world.
History
From around 1200 BC, Palaepaphos was a major religious center that over time drew not only from all over Cyprus, but also from other Mediterranean countries.The residents of Palaepaphos, particularly in Kouklia, worshipped a goddess of fertility who protected life from as early as the Chalcolithic period (3900–2500 BC). They depicted her as a woman with the obvious characteristics of maternity and modelled figurines of her in stone or clay, of which the larger ones became objects of adoration and their smaller counterparts were worn around the neck as amulets. Others were placed in graves to protect the dead. From this, it appears that adoration of a goddess of fertility began in the region of Paphos. In addition, the myth that Venus
Venus (mythology)
Venus is a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty, sex,sexual seduction and fertility, who played a key role in many Roman religious festivals and myths...
(known as Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
in Greek) was born on the coast of Cyprus may be connected to the adoration of this fertility goddess.
From the 12th century BC onwards, adoration of this goddess becomes particularly resplendent. It appears that before the arrival of Achaeans, Palaepaphos was already a rich city with an ornate holy altar dedicated to the goddess. Tradition holds that King Kinyras
Cinyras
In Greek mythology, Cinyras was a king of Cyprus. Accounts vary significantly as to his genealogy and provide a variety of stories concerning him; in many sources, however, he is associated with the cult of Aphrodite on Cyprus, and Adonis, a consort of Aphrodite, is mentioned as his son.In the...
of Paphos was both very rich and a priest of Venus. Another legend relates that Agapinoras, king of Tegea
Tegea
Tegea was a settlement in ancient Greece, and it is also a former municipality in Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Tripoli, of which it is a municipal unit. Its seat was the village Stadio....
and Arcadia
Arcadia
Arcadia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan...
, came to Paphos after the Trojan War
Trojan War
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...
and founded both the city and the holy altar of Venus. The Greeks, seemingly impressed by the greatness of the goddess of Paphos, built a large altar dedicated to her, parts of which still survive.
A temple was never built for the goddess. Instead, the holy altar stood in the open air, encircled by walls and fitted with brightly coloured doors, according to Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
. She was not worshipped as a statue, but rather in the form of conical stone. The ancients report it as something strange, "a white pyramid which the material is not known". This symbolic stone existed at Paphos from ancient times and, as the adoration of standing stones is a feature of eastern religions, the nearby Petra tou Romiou
Petra Tou Romiou
Petra Tou Romiou , or Aphrodite's Rock, is a sea stack in Pafos, Cyprus. Its status in mythology as the birth place of Aphrodite makes it a popular tourist location.-Birthplace of Aphrodite:...
(Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
's rock) may be responsible for the creation of the myth that she was born here.
This conical stone was found near the holy altar and is now on display at the Kouklia Museum. However, the stone is black whereas the ancients described it as white, although it may have become tarnished over the centuries. The stone remained in the holy altar site until the arrival of the Romans who placed it in the middle of a tripartite open building. The altar was already well known by the time of Homer as a location for burning incense. It was claimed that so marvellous was the altar that when it rained the stone did not become wet.
There were also votive pillars
Votive offering
A votive deposit or votive offering is one or more objects displayed or deposited, without the intention of recovery or use, in a sacred place for broadly religious purposes. Such items are a feature of modern and ancient societies and are generally made in order to gain favor with supernatural...
bearing symbols of the horns of a bull, and columns in the form of a tree of life
Tree of life
The concept of a tree of life, a many-branched tree illustrating the idea that all life on earth is related, has been used in science , religion, philosophy, mythology, and other areas...
. Various buildings serving the needs of the holy altar, and accommodation for the priest of the goddess and his entourage also existed on the site. A holy garden is also likely to have existed from which the nearby village of Yeroskipou
Yeroskipou
Yeroskipou is a coastal town in Cyprus, east of Paphos. Its current population is approximately 7,000 and it is the second largest municipality in the Paphos District. Yeroskipou, with its remarkable five-domed Byzantine church of Agia Paraskevi, and its Folk Art Museum, is a popular tourist...
takes its name. This was probably filled with trees and bushes dedicated to Venus, and with birds such as pigeons, which were beloved by the goddess. Representations on ancient vessels depict people amongst bushes, flowers and birds. Worship of the goddess was led by a priest who directed the ceremonies. Some sources claim that the first priest was Cinyras
Cinyras
In Greek mythology, Cinyras was a king of Cyprus. Accounts vary significantly as to his genealogy and provide a variety of stories concerning him; in many sources, however, he is associated with the cult of Aphrodite on Cyprus, and Adonis, a consort of Aphrodite, is mentioned as his son.In the...
. His descendants continued as priests and were buried in the precincts of the holy altar. It is also known that later kings of Paphos were simultaneously priests. Tacitus
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
however, relates in his Histories
Histories (Tacitus)
Histories is a book by Tacitus, written c. 100–110, which covers the Year of Four Emperors following the downfall of Nero, the rise of Vespasian, and the rule of the Flavian Dynasty up to the death of Domitian.thumb|180px|Tacitus...
that the site was founded by King Aerias.
In a practice originating with eastern religions to honour Astarte
Astarte
Astarte is the Greek name of a goddess known throughout the Eastern Mediterranean from the Bronze Age to Classical times...
, "holy marriages" may have taken place whereby a priest married a female priest to ensure the continued fertility of the earth and people. An idea of what the goddess looked like can be gathered from recovered archeaological relics which show present a richly embellished woman. The adoration of Venus was particularly intense in the ancient period with religious ceremonies depicted on artifacts such as vases or bronze vessels. Offerings to Venus are described by ancient writers as tobacco or balm from Myra
Myra
Myra is an ancient town in Lycia, where the small town of Kale is situated today in present day Antalya Province of Turkey. It was located on the river Myros , in the fertile alluvial plain between Alaca Dağ, the Massikytos range and the Aegean Sea.- Historical evidence :Although some scholars...
in present day Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. The faithful also brought pies made with flour and oil and libations produced from honey. Tree branches were favoured by the goddess so devotees brought "myrsini", flowers, windflowers and roses, because they derived from the blood of Adonis
Adonis
Adonis , in Greek mythology, the god of beauty and desire, is a figure with Northwest Semitic antecedents, where he is a central figure in various mystery religions. The Greek , Adōnis is a variation of the Semitic word Adonai, "lord", which is also one of the names used to refer to God in the Old...
and the teardrops of Venus.
Conflicting information exists as to whether animal sacrifices took place at the site with some sources claiming that the altar of the goddess was not wetted with blood and that pigs were never sacrificed because Venus hated the animals following the killing of Adonis by a wild boar. Others insist that pigs were sacrificed.
Followers sometimes dedicated objects that depicted worshippers or the goddess herself, either in the form of a richly dressed woman or a naked Astarte. Others dedicated columns decorated with signs, statues, precious gifts and gold. Records show that the holy altar of Venus was richly endowed and that the Romans took many of its treasures to Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
.
The Ptolemaioi and the Romans attempted to import adoration of emperors and other gods in order to glamorise the holy altar. Currency of the time shows the holy altar with the conical stone still in place.
Every year, men and women from all over Cyprus organize musical, theatrical, poetic and athletic events from the harbor of New Paphos to Palaepaphos. For many centuries, the goddess was worshipped at Palaepaphos because people believed in her enormous power and were convinced she gave life and protection. Nevertheless, they knew that she could also be malicious if they failed to respect her.
Adoration of the goddess lost its attraction with the rise of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. From the 2nd century onwards the altars of the goddess were gradually abandoned. Major earthquakes in the 4th century destroyed the holy altar and its "idolatrous" building materials were then used to construct great royal edificea.
In 1881, Kouklia's population was 404 and rose to 520 in 1921. By 1946, that number had increased to 791 (437 Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community at 77% of the population. Greek Cypriots are mostly members of the Church of Cyprus, an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity...
and 354 Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots are the ethnic Turks and members of the Turkish-speaking ethnolinguistic community of the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The term is used to refer explicitly to the indigenous Turkish Cypriots, whose Ottoman Turkish forbears colonised the island in 1571...
) and by 1973 to 1,110 (613 Greek Cypriots, 494 Turkish Cypriots). Following the Turkish invasion
Turkish invasion of Cyprus
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, launched on 20 July 1974, was a Turkish military invasion in response to a Greek military junta backed coup in Cyprus...
in 1974, Turkish Cypriot inhabitants of the village, under the influence of their political leaders, left the village and moved to the occupied regions
Turkish invasion of Cyprus
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, launched on 20 July 1974, was a Turkish military invasion in response to a Greek military junta backed coup in Cyprus...
. In 1976, the population of Kouklia was 732, which subsequently decreased to 681 in 1982 and 669 in 2001.
The village stands in the area of "Palaipafos" (Old Pafos), the seat of the kingdom of Pafos, which was one of the most important ancient kingdoms of Cyprus.
Under the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
(c. 306–1453) the village was most probably the property of the Byzantine officer known as the Kouvikoularios. In Greek, the word kouvouklion means sepulchral chamber but also can also mean the dormitory of the Byzantine emperors. Bodyguards of the Byzantine Emperors who guarded the imperial dormitory were termed kouvikoularioi, and were often granted land as a reward for their services. One such kouvikoularios is likely to have become the master or owner of the village thus it was named Kou(vou)klia. Alternatively, if Kouklia was not the property of a kouvikoularios then it was probably an area dotted with country houses for Byzantine officials.
The village retained the name "Kouvouklia" until the advent of Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
domination in the 12th century and was abbreviated to "Kouklia". De Masse Latri reports that during the Frank domination
Kingdom of Cyprus
The Kingdom of Cyprus was a Crusader kingdom on the island of Cyprus in the high and late Middle Ages, between 1192 and 1489. It was ruled by the French House of Lusignan.-History:...
era, the village was a large royal estate where sugar cane was cultivated.
During the Ottoman period
Cyprus under the Ottoman Empire
The Eyalet of Cyprus was created in 1571, and changed its status frequently. It was a sanjak of the Eyalet of the Archipelago from 1660 to 1703, and again from 1784 onwards; a fief of the Grand Vizier , and again an eyalet for the short period 1745-1748.- Ottoman raids and conquest :Throughout the...
, Kouklia was confiscated by the new conquerors and became a manor.
Archaeology
The entire area is an important archaeological site which includes the temple of "Aphrodite of Pafos" (Pafia Aphrodite) and the remains of the fortifications of Palaipafos. Various artifacts are on display in the archaeological museum housed in a medieval villa to the south of the village.Geography
Kouklia receives average annual rainfall of about 420 millimetres (16.5 in). Grapes (wine-making and tableTable grape
Table grapes are grapes intended for consumption while they are fresh, as opposed to grapes grown for wine production, juice production, or for drying into raisins....
varieties), bananas, various citrus fruits, avocados, apricots, kiwis, olives, locust beans, legumes, peanuts, and a large variety of vegetables are cultivated on the village's fertile land. The Randi Forest in the south-east as well as part of the Oriti Forest in the north-east fall within Kouklia's administrative boundaries. Animal husbandry is well developed in the community. Palm trees are planted in the main-street at the entrance to the village.
Tourism
The unspoilt natural beauty of the region, the Petra tou RomiouPetra Tou Romiou
Petra Tou Romiou , or Aphrodite's Rock, is a sea stack in Pafos, Cyprus. Its status in mythology as the birth place of Aphrodite makes it a popular tourist location.-Birthplace of Aphrodite:...
site, the archaeological discoveries of the area, the proximity to Aphrodite Hills
Aphrodite Hills
Aphrodite Hills is a coastal resort in the Paphos district, Cyprus.The resort is built on two elevated plateaus divided by a natural ravine. The resort has many features of a Mediterranean town; Greco-Roman architecture dominates, locally quarried stone is used in buildings and the town square...
Resort and the elevated views of the sea all make Kouklia a popular tourist destination.
Village
There is a regional elementary school in the village, attended by pupils from both Kouklia and the neighboring village of Nikokleia.There are also a police station, a health centre, and a state-owned nursery (greenhouse).
In the village plaza, there are several coffee-houses and taverns. The church of the Apostle and Evangelist Luke stands in the central plaza.
Inhabitants of the village are known for their piety and respect for the sacred and holy chapels or ruins of chapels.
Christos Miltiadous is the current Mayor of Kouklia.
Most villagers work in agriculture, some in tourism related activities, while others are employed at the Aphrodite Hills
Aphrodite Hills
Aphrodite Hills is a coastal resort in the Paphos district, Cyprus.The resort is built on two elevated plateaus divided by a natural ravine. The resort has many features of a Mediterranean town; Greco-Roman architecture dominates, locally quarried stone is used in buildings and the town square...
Resort complex.