Cyprus: Historical and DescriptiveLöher, Franz von
History
Cyprus: Historical and Descriptive
Löher, Franz von
Cyprus -- Description and travel; Cyprus -- History
An old ruined castle, and a few miserable dwelling-houses, are all that
now remain of what was once Old Paphos, now known as Kuklia. We rested
for a time in a wretched coffee-house, which was full of zaptiehs,
who were quartered here, whilst they collected over-due taxes. Groups
of people stood around, some looking pitiable objects with their wan,
anxious countenances, whilst others again were perfect embodiments
of cunning and stupidity. The chief officer of the soldiers, when I
arrived, was addressing this crowd with polite dignity and a great
variety of expressive gestures. It was whispered in my ear by one
of the party, that rage and threaten as their rulers might, no more
money could be wrung from this wretched population. In respect to
their extreme poverty, these miserable beings appeared to me to be no
worse off than the inhabitants of Ktima and other places we passed
through. A few stalwart men were amongst the crowd, but for the most
part the people appeared weakly, and to blend the Grecian, Syrian, and
Italian types of countenance. After vainly endeavouring to persuade
some Turkish family to give us lodging, we were glad at last to take
refuge in a kind of very high shed, the mud walls of which contained
but one room. In this I camped with all my three servants. A carpet
and coverings were procured, and with these we made ourselves as
comfortable as circumstances would permit. After a short rest I issued
forth to examine this wretched place, and standing upon the flat
roof of a hut that stood below ours, I obtained a clear view of my
surroundings. The whole place appeared to be a mere heap of ruins,
the pillars and foundations of ancient palaces. The heights around
exhibited a few yellow flowering shrubs, interspersed with green palms
and other trees, whilst around and about this scene of desolation stood
the dwellings of the poverty-stricken inhabitants. Below me was the
court-yard of a Turkish house, in which I could see the women at their
work. They wore veils, and I could not help noticing how much they
seemed to inconvenience them, as they threw them first on one side and
then to the other, to be out of their way.
I now descended and proceeded to explore the Aditum, the only ancient
sacred edifice in Cyprus, which, thanks to the pictures of it found on
gems and coins, we can reproduce before our eyes. It had, apparently,
been a square building with a fine entrance, and a low wing at either
end. On each side of the portal were two obelisks. This temple was
surrounded by a barrier, in the centre of which stood the principal
altar. In the innermost recesses of this edifice once stood the
mysterious veiled stone of Astarte Aphrodite.
CHAPTER XXII.
EPISKOPI.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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