Aphrodite of Cyprus

About the Tour

Blessed by nature and its gods, the island of Cyprus was the place that gave birth to a Mother Goddess who played a leading role in the life of its people already from the Chalcolithic Age, circa 3500 B.C. down to late antiquity. During our virtual tour, we are going to meet this great goddess of ancient Cyprus, whose memory managed to survive well into today’s place names and Festivals. Our first stop will be in the area of Petra tou Romiou, the mythical birthplace of goddess Aphrodite, on the southwest coast of Cyprus. Continuing next, we will meet the great goddess of Cyprus at the remains of her megalithic temple at Palaepafos where, as archaeological evidence has shown, since the 17th century BC the inhabitants of the area worshiped a female divinity with a diverse character who protected every aspect of their life. We will follow her steps in time, starting with her cult during the 2nd millennium BC, when this local goddess of the island was deeply influenced by the religions of the Near East. Next, during the 12th century BC, encountering the Greeks, she acquired some of her Aegean characteristics and later, when she merged with the Syrian Astarte her Phoenician elements. As epigraphic evidence shows, after the 4th century BC she was completely hellenized and climbed Mount Olympus to be the goddess of beauty and love of the Greek Mythology, with the tantalizing stories of her life having been a source of inspiration for poets and artists throughout the world ever since. 𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥: Maria Pingouras Maria is a qualified licensed Tourist Guide in Cyprus. She leads archaeology/history oriented tours for groups and individuals and plans/organizes hospitality programs and educational tours for schools and universities. Her long professional and educational experience, have allowed her to acquaint with every aspect of Cyprus’ culture and history, enabling her to pass her love and knowledge for the island to the interested visitors. Furthermore, she is a holder of a BA in Hellenic Culture, has a Diploma on Tourism Studies and a Diploma of the School of Tourist Guides of Cyprus and has been an Accredited Trainer of WFTGA. ✅𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗜𝗧 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗦 This tour has been designed for virtual presentation. This is a group that accommodates up to 100 participants at a time. Once you book this experience, we will send you a confirmation email with a link to join the session. You can access the tour via the link provided.

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To cancel, please contact us at least 24 hours in advance

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