About the city and the twinning
About Paphos
Paphos, also spelled Pafos, is a city on the southwestern coast of Cyprus. In antiquity, Nea Paphos was founded near the coast towards the end of the fourth century BCE and became an important administrative centre. The older settlement, Palaepaphos, lies near the present-day village of Kouklia and was home to a major sanctuary dedicated to Aphrodite. Both archaeological areas are part of the Paphos site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980.
Heritage and cultural life
Among the city’s best-known landmarks are the Roman villas of Kato Paphos, whose mosaic floors depict scenes from Greek mythology, and the Tombs of the Kings, a necropolis known for its monumental rock-cut chambers. Despite their name, the tombs are believed to have housed officials and members of the local elite. The remains of the early Christian Basilica of Chrysopolitissa document a later chapter in the city’s history.
In 2017, Paphos shared the title of European Capital of Culture with Aarhus, Denmark. Its programme brought performances and cultural events into public spaces across the city and surrounding communities, drawing on Paphos’s Mediterranean heritage and its role as a place of cultural exchange.
Twinning with Bethlehem
On 10 May 2023, Bethlehem Mayor Hanna Hanania and Paphos Mayor Phedonas Phedonos signed a twinning agreement at Bethlehem Municipality. It was Bethlehem’s first twinning agreement with a Cypriot city. The ceremony was attended by municipal representatives, Cyprus’s representative in Ramallah, and civic and religious figures.
The partnership provides a framework for cooperation in education, tourism, culture and environmental protection. At the signing, the mayors also discussed regional cooperation among local authorities, including an initiative to connect educational institutions across the eastern Mediterranean.