John Edward Cooper’s Notes

HomeContentsAlphabetical listingWhom I’d like to meet in eternity…
 

Wednesday 23 November 2016

[Tuesday 22 November 2016]

Cyprus — Tombs of the Kings, Paphos
The Annabelle, Λεωφόρος Ποσειδώνoς, Paphos, Cyprus
10:15 “Welcome Meeting” with Fiona, Byzantinos Bar


Janet reported to me that she heard the mosquito again buzzing in the night. I’ve not heard it, but I have the evidence of bites on left temple, left cheek, and in a number of places on the left arm. Checked e-mail accounts (08:36). I got access to Gmail, but Windows Live Mail didn’t find one of the e-mail accounts. At 9.30am we went down for breakfast. At 10.15am we went to the “Byzantinos Bar” just off the lobby — windowless: more like a small theatre or cinema, with seats arranged in an arc, than a “bar”.




A number of others had already also gathered for the meeting with the Mercury rep. Fiona; and one or two arrived after we did. She sat at the focus of the arc, and talked to us. She had a slight accent which I couldn’t place; I don’t recall exactly when and why she said she was Dutch. She handed out a map of Paphos with attractions on it and details of buses.



She also handed out a sheet with information on it about nine excursions, also about golf and car-hire.



We fancied three of them: “Round Trip, Cyprus”, which was “Tuesday and Friday”, so Friday because Tuesday was already past; “Jeep Tour, Akamas Peninsula”, because we liked off-road excursions, “Saturday and Wednesday”, so Saturday because today was Wednesday; and “Famagusta”, “Thursday and Saturday”, so Thursday because Saturday was the “Jeep Tour”. I particularly wanted to do this one because it included Salamis, a “St. Paul” location. Indeed, for this reason we’d wanted to book a holiday in Famagusta that was in the Mercury brochure, but had defaulted to Paphos when we tried to book it but found it unavailable. So we booked those, and paid with a debit card. When the meeting was over, we went to reception to book and pay for late check-out from our room on Monday — the room was available; we wouldn’t have to decamp to another room — and returned to the said room for what we needed. Janet’s “eat as she likes” day is usually Saturday, but she decided to make it Sunday this week. However, the phone rang, and it was Fiona: the trip to Famagusta tomorrow was fully booked; could we switch to Saturday? There would be another “jeep tour” on Sunday (not shown on the sheet). So we agreed to those changes; and Janet decided to have her “eat as she likes” day tomorrow. We headed out into the hot sunshine. Beyond the castle is a coastal path around the Paphos Point peninsula, and we walked for about a mile along this with rocky coast to our left and the Archaeological Park and lighthouse to our right, till the path descended to a beach: “Faros” or “Lighthouse Beach”. Here, there was the Lighthouse Beach Snack Bar, and Janet used the toilet there. (I felt embarrassed to do so without buying a drink, so refrained till our next stop.)


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 12:10:12
On the Paphos Point coastal path, looking back at Paphos Castle


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 12:10:12 (detail)
Paphos Castle


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 12:10:34
The Mediterranean, sparkling in the sunlight


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 12:24:00
Paphos Archaeological Park


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 12:24:12
Paphos Lighthouse


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 12:29:52
Skylark


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 12:29:52 (detail)
Skylark


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 12:50:42
Excavation on the other side of the path from the Archaeological Park


Photo from the internet
Lighthouse Beach Snack Bar

There was a rough road from there to the right, so we went along that. We came to a housing estate, where it became a proper metalled road, then to the main road. We turned left. It was another ½-mile or so to the turn-off to the left to the Tombs of the Kings — far enough in the sun and heat. Although this was not downtown Kato Paphos, we nevertheless found the road lined with bars, restaurants and shops; so we broke our journey at one of the bars on the right-hand side, and had drinks. The side of the establishment facing the street was unwalled and open, and we sat within. The barman was a Brit. We got chatting to another Brit who came for refreshments — a bit “rough”, slightly garrulous, but not unpleasant — from Featherstone near Wakefield. Then we resumed our walk, turning left at a roundabout into the drive of the Tombs of the Kings estate.


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 13:56:08
“Welcome to THE TOMBS OF THE KINGS — A World Heritage Site”


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 13:57:20
Entrance and ticket office, and exit turnstile

Admission was €1.25 each. If we’d been under 65, it would have been €2.50 each.

Admission tickets: front

Admission tickets: reverse

Just within the entrance there was an information-board, with a description, an aerial photo, and a ground plan of the site.


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:01:20
“The ‘Tombs of the Kings’”


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:01:46
“The ‘Tombs of the Kings’”


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:02:18
“The ‘Tombs of the Kings’”: “Ground plan”

Almost straight away, we turned from the path to the left, to look at “Tomb 1”.


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:02:18 (detail 1)
Tombs of the Kings: Location of Tombs 1 and 2


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:03:14
Tombs of the Kings: “Tomb 1”


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:04:04
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 1


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:04:42
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 1


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:05:20
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 1


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:06:08
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 1


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:06:18
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 1


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:06:32
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 1


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:07:22
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 1

On the other side of the path were features not shown on the ground plan.


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:13:18
Tombs of the Kings


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:13:48
Tombs of the Kings


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:15:38
Tombs of the Kings


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:16:00
Tombs of the Kings

Farther along the path, we found a sign directing us to the left to Tomb 2, and went that way.


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:16:30
Tombs of the Kings: “Tomb 2”

We didn’t have the advantage of a copy of the ground plan;—


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:02:18 (detail 1)
Tombs of the Kings: Location of Tombs 1 and 2

—and we thought that a cave we came to, inside which were burial niches, with steps out at the other end, was Tomb 2.


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:18:30
Tombs of the Kings: cave…


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:18:52
Tombs of the Kings: …with burial niches (loculi) inside…


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:19:20
Tombs of the Kings: loculi


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:19:32
Tombs of the Kings: …and steps leading out


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:20:42
Tombs of the Kings: …and steps leading out…


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:21:06
Tombs of the Kings: …to an upper level. (Left of the steps:) two cippi.


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:22:24
Tombs of the Kings

But when we climbed the steps to the upper level, we found other steps down, leading down to another tomb; and there was a sign down there saying that this was Tomb 2.


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:24:18
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 2 — stepped dromos and (ahead:) the burial chamber


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:26:04
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 2 — inside the burial chamber: four loculi


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:26:12
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 2 — inside the burial chamber: pit-graves


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:26:46
Tombs of the Kings: “Tomb 2”


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:28:54
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 2
Atrium, with dromos to the left and burial chamber to the right
(Lower left:) well


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:29:24
Tombs of the Kings: nearby tomb


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:29:44
Tombs of the Kings: nearby tomb


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:30:30
Tombs of the Kings

We found our way back to the earlier path and carried on, turning left off it to look first in Tomb 3 and then in Tomb 4.


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:02:18 (detail 2)
Tombs of the Kings: Location of Tombs 3 and 4


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:37:02
Tombs of the Kings: “Tomb 3”


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:38:18
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 3 — view down into the atrium


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:40:16
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 3 — western dromos


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:40:42
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 3 — western dromos


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:41:18
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 3 —portico and atrium


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:41:30
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 3 — portico and atrium


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:41:56
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 3 — chamber at the western end of the atrium


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:42:34
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 3 — chamber at the western end of the atrium


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:43:44
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 3 — chamber at the western end of the atrium


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:43:54
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 3 — chamber at the western end of the atrium
Is that soot from squatters’ cooking fires? or from burnt offerings for the dead?


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:45:24
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 3 — chamber at the western end of the atrium: one of the loculi


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:46:42
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 3 — chamber at the eastern end of the atrium


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:47:00
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 3 — chamber at the eastern end of the atrium


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:47:16
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 3 — opening at the north-corner end of the atrium


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:47:32
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 3 — chamber at the north-corner end of the atrium


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:48:00
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 3 — looking back to the dromos and (right:) the well


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:49:58
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 3 —dromos and well


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:50:20
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 3 — looking down the well


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:51:46
Tombs of the Kings: “Tomb 4”


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:52:46
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 4 — dromos, upper part


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:53:18
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 4 — dromos, lower part, and atrium


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:54:04
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 4 — atrium


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:54:38
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 4 — atrium, north, with pit-graves and a loculus (right)


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:55:00
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 4 — atrium, east, with a burial chamber


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:55:18
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 4 — atrium, south


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:55:36
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 4 — chamber with loculi in the far wall

Carrying on in the same direction, we came across another tomb,[i] down to the right, which we visited.
[i] Another tomb — not shown on the ground plan.


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:59:54
Tombs of the Kings: “Another tomb” — dromos, leading with no atrium into a vaulted burial chamber


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:01:14
Tombs of the Kings: “Another tomb” — reamins of a loculus, and more loculi towards, and in, the vaulted part


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:01:38
Tombs of the Kings: “Another tomb” — vaulted chamber with loculi


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:02:16
Tombs of the Kings: “Another tomb” — loculi


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:02:38
Tombs of the Kings: “Another tomb” — looking back from the chamber up the dromos

We resumed the direction that we’d been going in, more or less west, then turned right onto the path, heading more or less northwards, till we got to Tomb 5, where we turned right to enter the tomb.


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:02:18 (detail 3)
Tombs of the Kings: Location of Tombs 5 and 8


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:04:34
Tombs of the Kings: View from the path


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:08:12
Tombs of the Kings: “Tomb 5”


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:08:26
Tombs of the Kings: “Tomb 5”


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:09:06
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 5 — view down into the atrium


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:09:32
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 5 — dromos and vaulted entrance


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:10:16
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 5 — vaulted entrance


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:10:38
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 5 — looking from the entrance through the portico to the atrium and the door of the southern burial chamber


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:11:06
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 5 — looking along the north portico to a loculus at the eastern end


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:11:30
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 5 — atrium, well and east portico


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:12:06
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 5 — door of the chamber on the south side


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:12:44
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 5 — burial chamber on the south side


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:13:18
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 5 — north portico


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:14:06
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 5 — one of the loculi


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:14:32
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 5 — the same loculus as in “15:11:06”, broken through at the far end

We resumed walking along the path we’d been on, which swung round eastwards then southwards. Turning sharp right, we entered Tomb 6.


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 14:02:18 (detail 4)
Tombs of the Kings: Location of Tombs 6 and 7


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:19:56
Tombs of the Kings


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:22:24
Tombs of the Kings: “Tomb 6”


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:23:08
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 6 — dromos and covered entrance corridor


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:24:52
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 6 — end of the dromos and the covered entrance corridor, with loculi in the walls


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:25:16
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 6 — the nearer loculus in “15:24:52”


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:25:24
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 6 — covered entrance corridor, with loculi in the walls


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:25:48
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 6 — atrium; (right:) cippus, standing over a grave; (ahead:) reconstructed burial chamber


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:26:04
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 6 — atrium


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:26:56
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 6 — atrium, with cippus and grave-pits


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:27:52
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 6 — grave-pits, pillar remnants and the reconstructed burial chamber


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:29:06
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 6 — burial chamber: loculi, and some painting in the plaster still to be seen
[ii]

[ii] It looked to me like a cross symbol, but according to Sophocles Hadjisavvas The Tombs of the Kings (Nicosia: Napaphos Publishers, 2011), pp. 30 and 31, it’s “in imitation of isodomic masonry”.


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:31:36
Tombs of the Kings: Tomb 6 — looking back to the dromos

We didn’t explore any more tombs; we made our way back to the exit next to the ticket office.


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:34:54
Tombs of the Kings


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:37:48
Tombs of the Kings


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:39:22
Tombs of the Kings


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 15:39:50
Tombs of the Kings

We turned right at the roundabout, and not far along found a bus stop. We’d not been waiting many minutes before a №315 bus came along, which we got to the bus station.



On the way back to the hotel we stopped off at Τα Μπάνια, where Janet had cranberry juice and two Sprite Zero and I had two Erdinger dunkel Weißbier.


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 16:52:52
View from Τα Μπάνια, just after sunset


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 16:59:28
Τα Μπάνια

We then proceeded back to the hotel. Since Janet’s “eat as she likes” day was now to be tomorrow, she asked the woman at reception to recommend a good restaurant for lunch. She told us, “Hondros Taverna”; indeed, she phoned and booked us a table for 12 o’clock tomorrow; and she marked the location on the map that Fiona had given us: just beyond the bus station.


Wednesday 23 November 2016 — 17:18:02
View from the balcony of our hotel room

Back in the room, I tried to check e-mail accounts (17:26). There was a reply from Chris, but when I tried to open it, nothing happened, and when I tried to refresh the page, the report came, “This site can’t be reached.” A little later I managed to read his e-mail (17:37)… Transferred 103 photos from the camera to the WD Elements HDD (18:04–18:09). We went down for dinner at 6.30pm. We were back in the room, and both in bed, not long after 8.30pm.

[Thursday 24 November 2016]



Comments: Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]





<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?

Subscribe to Posts [Atom]