Just a few kilometres from the port of Paphos, one of the most revered Christian shrines of Cyprus, the catacombs of St. Solomonia, is located. Right in front of the entrance to the caves grows an old pistachio tree, which is a kind of "guardian" of this place. People believe that if you tie your personal belongings to its branches, you can be cured of all diseases in a year. Now this tree is covered with various ornaments, scarves, belts and other small things.
This place got its name in honour of the Great Martyr Solomonia, whose relics are still kept in one of the grottoes of the hill. According to legend, St Solomonia and her seven sons settled in these catacombs around the 2nd century AD after escaping from Palestine. However, they were soon captured and martyred.
The catacombs themselves were dug under Fabrika Hill as early as the 4th century BC and were used as a burial ground. It was not until the dawn of our century that the first Christians of the island settled there.
It was they who created several additional caves, which are arranged in the shape of a cross, as well as a beautiful underground church, which became famous for its marvellous frescoes and drawings. They are believed to have appeared much later than the church itself - during the time of the Crusaders. Fortunately, they have been preserved in good enough condition to this day.
The main attraction of these catacombs is the holy spring from which water was taken by the first Christians who settled there. Recently, however, due to the large number of people who want to drink this life-giving water, the spring has become a bit shallow and the water in it has become cloudy. But, according to knowledgeable people, this has not affected its healing properties.
