THE ANCIENT ALLURE OF CYPRUS

SAVOUR LIFE’S RICH MOSAIC

A short distance away from the main town of Paphos, located in the harbour area, you’ll find the extraordinary mosaics of Paphos that date from as early as 300AD. The mosaic floors, some of the earliest ever found in the region, are remarkably wellpreserved and would have been in the homes of the city’s elite – nobles Dionysus and Theseus to name just two. Allow around three hours to enjoy them fully.

ZOOM IN ON A TOMB

The south-western city of Paphos that so enchanted Mark Easton is a World Heritage Site in its entirety, due in no small part to the Tombs of the Kings. Dating from the Hellenistic and Roman periods – around 325BC to 330AD – the site contains approximately 100 well-preserved underground tombs and chambers. These would have been used to bury local nobles and their families. The site is vast with little shade so take plenty of water with you.

GET THEE TO A MONASTERY

Don’t miss the magnificent Kykkos Monastery in the mountains. Founded around the end of the

11th century by the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos, the monastery is rammed full of treasures.

RELEASE YOUR INNER GLADIATOR

The ancient kingdom of Kourion can trace its history back to around 3,000BC. Marvel at the amazing Graeco-Roman amphitheatre. If, like me, you like to indulge your imagination, you’ll “hear” the roar of the crowds as they enjoy gladiatorial fights. Even today, performances of opera and Shakespeare plays use the acoustics to full effect – always worth catching one of these events on your holiday if you can.

BOUZOUKI IN THE HILLS

Take a day trip to the verdant Troodos Mountains. Along the winding roads you’ll find villages where little has changed in decades. If you are lucky, you may catch a village festival where the haunting sounds of the bouzouki, a stringed instrument, fill the air.

Carole French

For more on what to see and do in Cyprus, see telegraph. co.uk/tt-cyprus-guide