About
Nea Paphos was an ancient city in Cyprus founded in the late 4th century BC. It was built as a successor to the former administrative and religious center of the Cypriot “city-kingdom” of Paphos in modern Kouklia. Nea Paphos was the island's capital under much of its Ptolemaic and Roman administrations, and was a major maritime trading hub in the eastern Mediterranean. Archaeological excavations at Nea Paphos have uncovered well-preserved urban infrastructure, public buildings, residential compounds, rock-cut tombs, and a harbor complex. Several villas contain expansive, intricate polychrome floor mosaics featuring dynamic geometric designs and narrative scenes from classical mythology; these are considered to be among the finest preserved floor mosaics in the Mediterranean world.
