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Photo: Nikodem Nijaki · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Archaeological park in Cyprus
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—also known as Paphos, then Palaepaphos —about 16 km away 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.
