This Medieval Castle is one of the most recognizable landmarks from Paphos. It is situated on the side of the harbour and is an absolute must-see for visitors (also from inside) in this town.
An artistic Castle
The Paphos Castle dates back to Byzantine Times when it was built as a fortress for the city. An earthquake destroyed it in 1222 but was soon rebuilt by Lusignans. The Castle was then dismantled by Venetians and finally rebuilt by Ottomans in the 16th Century. The Castle stood not only as a fortress but also served as a prison or a salt warehouse during the British commanding of the Island.
Today, The Castle serves as an artistic centre. When we visited, it was hosting an exhibition about refugees and conflict in Syria. The cold, archaic walls stressed the meaning of the exhibition and created for scarce impression – no other neutral wall of incidental art could have deepened the memory of human tragedies more.
When we went out of The Castle, the sun was shining, people were laughing, and all of this created a slight dissonance in our minds. We thought a walk around will provide some calm and it was then that we discovered this statue on one of the rocks around. We immediately recollected the images of bodies that drowned while escaping to Europe.
