I feel like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, but instead of breaking into tombs I am respectfully appreciating them. I still climb around through the narrow tunnels made by tomb raiders, but most of the time I take the doxos, stairs built by the Phoenicians. The tombs are designed to be accessed by the family and even have large rooms for ceremonial offering of wine and honey. Amphora were discovered and are piled offsite.

The unique thing about these tombs, compared to the others, is their elaborate design, created for the upper class. The temples have Doric columns, typical of the Greeks, and have characteristic wells for bathing after visiting the dead, a orthodox practice still common in Cyprus. This last tomb was found with two eagles, the symbol of the Ptolemaic empire, so it possibly belonged to the king (hence the name Tomb of the Kings). Or it could be two falcons, a symbol tied to Alexandria, Egypt. The burial niches are sometimes small and other times deep and large. It is so fun going down the steps into the tunnels or open air tombs to explore all the burial niches.

The landscape is completely covered with tombs, some as elaborate as the upper class tombs, found down all sorts of concealed passageways. My former archeologist is very satisfied, but disheartened by all the context stolen by tomb raiders and colonial “archeology.” Artifacts were taken without documentation to form the MET in New York, where majority of the artifacts of these tombs remain.

I go with a Romanian guy to see Aphrodite’s rock. Honestly, it is the least extraordinary rock of the whole area, so I know that it must be tied to the legend where Aphrodite was born from the sea foam. Her cult was born on Paphos, so everything is Aphrodite-themed. The other limestone formations of rock jutting out of the sea are beautiful. The sea shines turquoise in the sun and pebbles line the beach, rattling as the waves pull them over each other. There is a little cliff to climb up and get an overview of the area. The neighboring beach is quite nice too, a bit less crowded and with equally beautiful views of the milky, white sea.