Paphos Maqir is a large cemetery, located about two kilometers north of Paphos Port in Cyprus It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kiev. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – April 01, 2021 – Tourism and Travel
The underground tombs, many of which date back to the fourth century BC, were carved from solid rock and are believed to have been the burial sites of papal aristocrats and high officials until the third century AD (the name comes from greatness. Indeed, none of the kings were buried in the Paphos cemetery. Some of the tombs are marked by Doric columns and frescoes.
Archaeological excavations are still underway at the site, and the graves have been cut into the original rocks, and sometimes these graves resemble the homes of the living.
Tombs have been identified and explored incidentally for centuries. Richard Pocock wrote the oldest modern account in nearly a century, after which the first archaeological excavations were carried out by Luigi Palma de Cisnola, the Italian-born American consul in Cyprus.
The first excavations were carried out under scientific supervision, led by Menelaus Markides, who was the curator of the Museum of Cyprus, and systematic excavations took place in the late 1970s and 1980s under the direction of Dr. Sophocles Hadgesavas, the former Director of Antiquities of the Republic of Cyprus.
Dr. Hadjisavas brings the finds for publication with the help of the Australian Archaeological Mission to Paphos.
Part of the importance of tombs lies in the papal custom of inserting Rhodian amphora among the offerings in the burial. By means of manufacturing stamps placed on the handles of these fossils, they can be given a date.
Thus, it is hoped to develop a safer chronology of archaeological materials in the eastern Mediterranean in the Hellenistic period and early Roman era.
It is reported that a lot of information related to the tombs was lost over time, several factors contributed to this, as it is believed that many of the tombs were rich inexpensive funeral properties, despite the scarcity of these goods that were found by the official archaeological missions, but it is believed that the grave robbers of the past Responsible for that. The proximity of the graves to the seaside also impeded the preservation of the buried bodies. Despite these obstacles, the historical significance of the tombs remains firmly established among experts and locals.
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Source: Ukrgate