The Tombs of the Kings is a large necropolis lying about 2 kms north-west of Paphos harbour. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The underground tombs, many of which date back to the 4th century BC, are carved out of solid rock, and are thought to have been the burial sites of Paphitic aristocrats and high officials (the name comes from the magnificence of the tombs; no kings were in fact buried here). Some of the tombs feature Doric columns and fresco-ed walls. Archaeological excavations are still being carried out at the site. The tombs are cut into the native rock, and at times imitated the houses of the living. Although the tombs have been known and casually explored for centuries, they were first subjected to systematic excavation in the later 1970s and the 1980s under the direction of Dr. Sophocles Hadjisavvas.
