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CyprusWhat to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting
Catacombs of Saint Solomonia or Aya Solomonia - a sacred place for the Christian believers of Cyprus, and at the same time a tourist attraction. This is a large cave Christian temple, cut right into the rock presumably in the II century AD.E. it is believed that initially it was just Catacombs for the extraction of stone, which began to be used for burial, and only in the IX century there was a Christian Orthodox Church. According to another version, persecuted Christians were hiding in the catacombs. According to legend, once the Romans imprisoned Saint Solomonia, the mother of the seven holy martyrs of the Maccabees, in one of these catacombs, but after 200 years she came out alive.
The catacombs can be visited completely free of charge and at any time, but keep in mind that this is still a sacred place for believers, so behave and be dressed appropriately, no swimsuits and tops. Going down into the catacombs on a narrow stone staircase you can explore several cells. Pay attention to the frescoes, they date back to the XII century. In one of the cells, the deepest, there is a holy spring, which, according to legend, heals the blind and corrects vision problems. Be careful, the source is not made in the form of a spring, and the water is simply filled with the bottom of the cave, so some tourists unknowingly get their feet right into the water, and you can slip on the steps. The visit will take 5-10 minutes.
🕐 Working hours
around the clock.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket price
free.
🚶 How to get there
the catacombs are located in Kata Paphos district near the center on Apostolou Pavlou Street (Catacombs on the map). The center is easily accessible on foot or by buses №№ 603, 606, 611, 612, 615, the fare is 1.5 euros (see learn more about Cyprus buses. The entrance to this place is unremarkable, just going underground by steps, but there is a sign on the road, and next to a large pistachio tree with ribbons tied on it. Be careful: sometimes the catacombs of Solomonia are confused with tunnels in the mountain Factory.
The sights of Paphos are most interesting with a guided tour or individual guide. You can buy them from travel agencies on the spot, or pick them up and order them from one of these proven tour search and booking sites with reviews: