Paphos - Tombs of the Kings

The Royal Tombs of Paphos are a necropolis located between Ktima and Kato Paphos. The name is misleading and derives from the size of the rock-cut tombs.
During the Ptolemaic period (294–58 BC), when the island was ruled and the tombs were built, the city-states of Cyprus no longer existed. They likely date back to the 3rd century BC and testify to the prosperity of the inhabitants, who modeled their lifestyles on Egyptian examples. The larger tombs served as burial sites for officials of the Ptolemaic administration or their rulers.

The necropolis was continuesly used during the Hellenistic and Roman period, and served as a refuge for early Christians during their persecution. In the Middle Ages, squatters settled there and altered the original architecture.

The notorious treasure hunter Luigi Palma di Cesnola, then the US Consul in Cyprus, began excavations at this site in 1870. The first excavations under scientific supervision took place in 1915.