The catacomb of Agia Solomoni is located on the south-west side of the “Fabrika” hill, along the main road to the harbor of Kato Paphos, in close relation with the church of Panayia Chrysopolitissa. The site is an underground complex of Hellenistic tombs carved into the bedrock, composed by a central courtyard surrounded by four rooms and a staircase leading to a water spring. Most probably these spaces were later used by hermits and monks during the Byzantine period. Unfortunately, the lack of archaeological data and records don’t allow a detailed reconstruction of the use and development of the site during the Byzantine and Lusignan periods. In the second half of the 14th century the East room, obtaining an apse, was decorated by frescoes and converted into a church. From the mid 15th century Agia Solomoni is mentioned as cult site by pilgrims visiting Pafos along with their route to the Holy Land. The site was known and referred to as the tomb of the seven Maccabees or the seven Sleepers. A rich collection of graffiti is preserved on the frescoes, marking the passage of pilgrims, travelers and worshippers from the 15th to the 16th centuries. During the Ottoman period, historical records testify the persistence of the site’s cult and memory. Today, the catacomb of Agia Solomoni is still one of the main cult sites of Paphos.
