Aphrodite festival, Paphos

Cyprus - otherwise known as the Island of Aphrodite - will commemorate its founding myth at Paphos in August with an internationally-renowned opera festival.

Each year, festival organisers invite a well-known opera troupe to perform in the town. This year's event - the ninth in the festival's history - is held from August 31st to September 2nd.

Previous shows have included Bizet's "Carmen" and Puccini's "Turandot", from which the famous "Nessun Dorma" aria is taken.

Performances, which all commence at 8pm, are held in front of the town's medieval castle.

Paphos is the "birthplace" of Aphrodite, who rose from the sea, formed by foam and seaspray after an irate Cronus cut off the testicles of the god Uranus and threw them into the waves.

The goddess of love - whose name literally means "foam-arisen" in Ancient Greek - had her centre of worship at the town in the classical period.

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