Agia Kyriaki Chrysopolitissa is the church that stands today, in central Kato Paphos, above one of the largest early-Christian basilicas in Cyprus. Two layers of religious site sit on the same ground. The thirteenth-century church is in active use as the parish church of central Paphos and as the city's Anglican congregation home. Around it, low walls and uncovered mosaic floors mark out the fifth- and sixth-century basilica that preceded it — and within the basilica grounds, a stone column traditionally identified as the place where the Apostle Paul was scourged on his missionary visit to the island in the first century AD.
The site is a few minutes' drive or a fifteen-minute walk inland from Annabelle. Entry to the grounds is free; entry to the church is free during opening hours; respectful dress is expected.
The Early-Christian Basilica
The original basilica was built in the late fourth or early fifth century AD, when Paphos had been Christian for several generations. Excavations have revealed a substantial seven-aisled structure with mosaic floors, an atrium, and a baptistery. The mosaic floors are visible today in situ — geometric and figurative panels, partly weathered, partly preserved — and offer a vivid sense of the scale of the early-Christian community in Paphos.
The basilica was destroyed in the Arab raids of the seventh century. The site lay abandoned for centuries before the present church was raised within its ruins.
St Paul's Pillar
In the south-western corner of the basilica grounds stands a stone column, traditionally identified as the place where the Apostle Paul was tied and scourged with thirty-nine lashes on his visit to Paphos around 45 AD. The narrative is from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 13). Paul was visiting Cyprus with Barnabas and John Mark, and at Paphos preached before the Roman governor Sergius Paulus — who, by tradition, was converted by the experience, making Paphos the first Christian Roman province.
The pillar itself is unmarked stone; the identification is medieval and devotional rather than archaeological. The wider story behind it — the early arrival of Christianity in Cyprus, the conversion of the Roman governor, the place of Paphos in the geography of the apostolic mission — is what most visitors come for.
The Church Today
The present church, raised in the thirteenth century within the basilica ruins, is in active use. The interior is modest, well kept, and worth a quiet visit. Sunday and feast-day services are well attended; visitors are welcome at other times. The church also hosts a regular Anglican congregation for English-speaking residents and visitors.
Respectful dress is expected — shoulders covered, no shorts for adults during services. Photography is generally permitted in the grounds; inside the church only when no service is taking place.
Visiting from Annabelle
Walk inland from the seafront about fifteen minutes, or take a short taxi. The site is open year-round and entry is free. Pair the visit with the Catacombs of Agia Solomoni a few streets away — the two together carry most of the city's early-Christian story.
Find your way to Agia Kyriaki Chrysopolitissa on
Google Maps.