Religion is a driving force of tourism in Cyprus. As one of the first places Christianity spread outside of Judea, the island has a long history with the Gospel.
Every year, thousands of pilgrims, both Orthodox Christians and other denominations, come to the island to visit its churches and monasteries – 10 of which, all in the Troodos area, have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1985.
One of the oldest is the monastery of St John the Lampadistis, just outside the village of Kalopanagiotis in the Nicosia district.
Perched on a hillside on the eastern bank of the river Setracho, in the valley of Marathasa, the complex is now home to three churches – Agios Ioannis Lampadistis, Agios Heraclidios and a Latin chapel.
United under a single wooden roof, this complex was originally a monastery, and has undergone extensive reconstruction and restoration at different times.
Three churches under a single wooden roof
“The monastery of St John Lampadistis is one of the most important places in Cyprus and is a place full of grace, history and culture,” Romanian-born Father Theodore Ivana, parish priest of the Kalopanayiotis community and guardian of the monastery, tells Euronews.
“The first church, as we enter, is dedicated to a 1st century Cypriot saint, Agios Heraklidios. He was a guide to the Apostles Paul, Barnabas and Mark in 45 AD and was baptised in the same year by the Apostles in the river Shetrachos, which runs through the village,” he explains.
Built at the start of the 11th century, the church is a Byzantine basilica with a dome, featuring frescoes preserved from the 12th to the 16th centuries.
“Also in the first church we have a [unique] iconostasis representing the ancient order of the Church before Iconoclasm. This is the oldest one that survives in Cyprus and dates back to the late 13th and early 14th century,” adds Father Theodore.
The middle church is dedicated to the local St John Lampadistis, who lived towards the end of the 11th century. The chapel was added towards the end of the 12th century.
