The city of Paphos, on the southwest coast of the island, is, according to legend the birthplace of the Greek Goddess of Love, Aphrodite. It was founded by King Kinyras in 1400 BC. The port of Paphos was built by Nicocles, the last king of Paphos, at the time of Alexander the Great. It became the capital of the island replacing Salamis during the Hellenistic Period as its masters, the Ptolemies, favoured a location closer to their capital, Alexandria. The Romans retained Paphos as the seat of the Roman Governor. It was here that Apostle Paul converted the Roman Governor of the time, Sergius Paulus, to Christianity. The city contains many catacomb sites dating back to the early Christian period.

Despite its vulnerability to foreign incursions and raids, the city survived through the centuries, retaining an indefinable, legendary charm through the ages. It even survived the devastating earthquake in the 4th century AD.

Paphos, however, was gradually losing much of its attraction as an administrative centre, especially after the Arab raids in the 9th century AD. The result was that the capital was moved inland to Nicosia. The city and its port continued to decline throughout the Middle Ages and Ottoman Rule, as Nicosia, and the port cities of Larnaka and Famagusta were gaining in importance.

The city and district continued to lose population throughout the British colonial period and many of its inhabitants moved to Limasol, Nicosia and overseas. The city and district of Paphos had remained the most underdeveloped part of the island until 1974.

The Turkish invasion and occupation of the major tourist resorts of Keryneia and Famagusta led to major investments by the government and the private sector in the district of Paphos. There was rapid economic activity in all fields but especially tourism and the district's population stopped shrinking and indeed showed some signs of increasing. The government invested heavily in irrigation dams and water distribution works, road infrastructure and the building of Paphos International Airport while private initiative concentrated in hotel, apartment and villa construction and the entertainment infrastructure.

Today Paphos is a popular sea resort with a population of 38.000. It is divided into two major quarters - Ktima, on the sea terrace, is the main residential district, and Kato Paphos, by the sea, is built around the mediaeval port and contains most of the luxury hotels and the entertainment infrastructure of the city.