Ayia Napa Monastery how to get there. Ayia Napa Monastery

Incredibly attractive beauty and fascinating history, the monastery of Ayia Napa (Famagusta region), dedicated to the “Virgin of the Forests”, is located in the very center of the modern town, which once began its history near the erected Venetian buildings. Renovated in 1950, 28 years later, the former monastery became the center for conferences of the ecumenical movement in the Middle East.

At present, it is a Museum, the unique and significant exposition of which is still at the stage of formation and development. Both religious and secular events are regularly held on its territory and on Seferis Square: festivals, holidays, concerts, etc.

Nearby, to the south-west of the monastery ensemble is the Church of the Virgin Mary, built in 1994; and opposite the south gate, which is in the square, grows a huge and ancient sycamore, which invariably impresses tourists.

The long-closed monastery in Ayia Napa, in which only the church remained active, was of great importance in the past, no less than (founded at the end of the 11th century by the Byzantines). He was visited by many pilgrims, he was rich and owned several farmsteads and vast lands. Thus, if the west of Cyprus was famous for the Kikk monastery, then the east is Ayia Napa.

It is always interesting to walk in this part of Ayia Napa, at any time of the day. Rising higher and higher to the gates of the now Museum, we can see a square with large old trees, among which stands out their aksakal - the famous huge plane tree: each of the branches of which is like a real big tree and they are supported by special metal structures.

About this plane tree, Yorgos Seferis (real name: Yorgos Seferiadis, Greek poet-diplomat and Nobel laureate, 1900-1971) wrote a poem known to any Greek and Cypriot "Aγιάναπα Β" (aka "Sycamore"), where there are these words:

Under the old plane tree
the wind rose and swept away
To castles in the north
and didn't touch us.

It is no coincidence that the area where the gate opens and where this mighty witness of past eras grows is named Seferis...

In the evenings, it becomes especially beautiful here: the trees are illuminated, and various mass cultural events are regularly held on the city square, especially in the "summer" season.

So, the courtyard of the monastery is rectangular in plan with buildings of different times, a large covered gallery (near the fraternal building) and an old octagonal fountain in the middle, decorated with exquisite carvings in the form of garlands and flourishing branches. To the left of the entrance is a souvenir shop, which is also a church shop where you can buy related products and religious items. Opposite the entrance - a curious stand with a plan of the monastery and with detailed information at what time this or that structure was erected: Middle Byzantine (until 1191) - small old inclusions of wall structures in the gate area; The period of the crusades (1191-1470s) - fraternal corps, the Venetian period (1489-1571) - fortress walls, gate tower, church; and Ottoman (1571-1878) - a central large fountain, a mill and an extension in the form of a spacious arched gallery paved with pebbles, on the right side of the southern gate leading to the monastery from the square.

As stated on the information board in the depths of the monastery garden, the exact date of the founding of the monastery has not reached our time, however, according to researchers, it was erected in an uninhabited wooded area, and it was dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Mother of God, Panagia - in Greek).

There are two legends about how it originated here.

According to one of the local legends, in the cave where the church is now located, a hunter once found a miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (Holy Forest, because “Napa” means “forest”). The hunter's dog was the first to notice the light emanating from the cave and began to bark to the owner, who, approaching, saw the image of the Mother of God (today, researchers suggest that the icon could have been hidden during the period of iconoclasm, VII-VIII centuries). In the cave in which the icon of Panagia Napa was found (over time, it became more often called Holy (Ayia) Napa, Byzantine period of the 9th-10th centuries), probably, an ascetic ascetic once lived. So, believers soon began to visit this sacred place to bow to the image. As they say, after finding the icon, it was never taken out of the cave, and later from the rock temple.

However, another legend is also known: about a disobedient girl from an aristocratic Venetian family who fled because her parents refused to marry her to her lover - a commoner. And today, in the northern part of the courtyard, above the spring with a decorative top in the shape of a wild boar's head, a two-story building rises, where the Venetian once lived. Around 1500, rich Venetians built a church in this place, around which a convent arose over time, and later a Roman Catholic chapel appeared. Thus, the monastery was gradually created, as it has come down to our time.

The obstinate fugitive became a nun, and at the end of her life a gazebo was built in the center of the courtyard of the monastery (it is generally accepted that by order of the same Venetian), in the form of a square-shaped domed structure. There, in silence, she wished to be buried, next to the fountain.

Remember the giant tree that still stands at the gates of the former monastery? They say that this is the oldest relic of the region, and it was planted over 500 years ago by the same girl with a broken heart...

So, in the monastery church there are three halls: the oldest is the cave hall (it is referred to the Byzantine period), a separate entrance leads here. By the way, the existence of a Christian community in these places since the time of the Byzantine Empire is confirmed precisely by this cave part of the temple and the source (it is also a well that was discovered next to the cave, and is known for its exceptionally pure water, which is considered holy) ... further - conventionally called "Venetian", - you can get here through the main entrance to the temple; hall of the "crusades" - also the name is given according to the period of occurrence (a passage from the "Venetian" hall leads to it).

It is known for certain that Ayia Napa got its name before 1336, and the first historical mention of this area dates back to the second half of the 14th century.

It was made by the famous Cypriot chronicler Leonty Machairas (c. 1380 - first half of the 15th century) in his "Chronicles" (Edition: Machairas Leontios. Recital concerning the Sweet Land of Cyprus entitled Chronicle. Edited by R. M. Dawkins. Oxford 1932. Les Editions l’Oiseau, Famagusta).

In the XIV century, the remaining half of the cave was included in the construction of the erected church.

Images of the monastery can also be found on the maps of the Venetians in the 16th century: its main buildings were erected at the end of the 15th-16th centuries, when Cyprus was under the sovereignty of Venice, and we can say that it had a familiar look to us today for a long time.

Later (in the 17th-18th centuries) descriptions of the monastery, surrounded by powerful fortress walls, are found in diaries, sketches and notes of various foreign travelers (among others, we will dwell separately on two names, which we will return to a little later: Pietro Della Valle, Italian traveler, writer ; and Russian monk-traveler and research writer Vasily Grigorovich-Barsky) and diplomats: for example, around 1750, Alexander Drummond, a Scot, British ambassador to Syria and author of Travels through the different Countries of Germany, Italy, Greece, and parts of Asia Minor, as far as the Euphrates, with an Account of what is remarkable in their present State and their Monuments of Antiquity", visited the monastery, where he copied and cited in his book an entry dated 1530. It speaks of a vaulted superstructure in the Venetian style, made in those years over the southeast entrance, and mention of an earlier two-story building to the north of the temple.

The marble fountain, located under the dome of the gazebo, built in the middle of the courtyard, according to experts, can also be dated to the 16th century.

Thus, the ensemble of the monastery, which has come down to our time, includes buildings that mainly cover the 14th-19th centuries: the oldest structure is the lower, cave church in the ensemble of a two-aisled church in the back of the courtyard (in the past it was used in the same way as the Latin chapel, from the decoration of which fragmentary frescoes of the 15th century have been preserved).

In 1571, Cyprus came under Ottoman rule. Unlike other monasteries and churches, this one was not destroyed. Moreover, originally built by the Venetians, it was supposed to become Catholic, but the Turks who came to the island handed over the monastery to the Orthodox community of the island. The mill probably appeared in the monastery during the period of Turkish rule.

Description of Pietro della Valle (1586-1652), who visited the Holy Land, the Middle East, North Africa and India during his travels; made in 1625, exactly corresponds to the modern appearance of the former monastery. The author also reports that the monastery of Ayia Napa owned a large amount of land.

In 1668 the monastery became a male monastery. In general, at different times the monastery served either as a male or as a female monastery. By the way, in Cyprus, women's monasteries have always been more populated than men's.

In the first half of the 18th century, as is known, the famous Russian monk-traveler Vasily Grigorovich-Barsky visited Cyprus four times. .

He visited about 60 monasteries that existed on the island at that time, and left sketches and detailed descriptions of them.

Vasily Grigorovich-Barsky, according to a number of sources, visited the monastery on the day of its patronal feast on November 11, 1734. He noted how many people gathered in the monastery for the celebrations.

Approximately in the middle of the 18th century, the first house of the future village was built near the monastery. And the very first inhabitants of the settlement were visitors from Thessaloniki (Greece), who left their homeland because of the plague epidemic that happened that year. Of course, Ayia Napa received its future name from the monastery.

Remarkably, after 1758 the monks no longer lived there. Later, in 1813, the monastery buildings were repaired and strengthened, but the monastic community no longer owned them, so the monastery property was leased to local farmers and the buildings were used for the needs of the rural community.

Since 1878, when Cyprus was under British rule, the monastery church has become a parish church.

In 1950, a major renovation was carried out - a necessary measure to preserve the historic buildings.

At the same time, the former Metropolitan of China Makarios III (1913-1977) was elected to the archiepiscopal throne. Having headed the Cypriot Orthodox Church in those harsh years for her, the Archbishop launched a wide-ranging activity to liberate Cyprus from the colonialists. On Sunday, January 13, 1952, a prayer service was served in the Church of the Appeared Image of the Mother of God (Panagia Faneromeni, in Nicosia). In a prayer specially composed by Makarios III for this triumph, God's help was called upon for the Cypriot people in their desire to free themselves from the shackles and achieve the long-awaited freedom. After the prayer service, the Archbishop delivered a patriotic speech and read out the decision of the Cypriot Greek National Assembly, which expressed the determination of the Orthodox Greeks to continue the struggle for their independence. On December 13, 1959, Archbishop Makarios was elected President, and on August 15, 1960, after the declaration of Cyprus as a Republic, he took over the affairs.

During the years of Makarios III's leadership activity, the monastery was recommended by him as the most suitable place for the creation of the Ecumenical Ecumenical Conference Center.

In the period from 1978 to 2006, conferences of representatives of Christian churches in the Middle East were held in the monastery. [ecumenism, from the Greek οἰκουμένη - "world, universe" - a movement for the unification of various Christian denominations and creeds. Trends originated in the Christian East during the Middle Ages. The modern concept was introduced in 1937 by theologians at Princeton Seminary; since then, the predominant role, respectively, belongs to the Protestants - E.K.T.].

In 2007, after the re-establishment of the Metropolia of Constantia and Ammochosta, the monastery came under its control, and on the initiative of Metropolitan Vasilios (Karayannis), the Cultural Academy of St. Epiphanius of Cyprus was founded here.

The main activity of the academy today is aimed at the development and maintenance of theological and historical research, as well as the organization of thematic meetings and conferences.

Since after 1970 the once fishing village began to grow powerfully and today has become a developed tourist center in the eastern part of Cyprus, representatives of the Cypriot church believe that it is impossible to revive the monastery because of its “environment” with a noisy and actively developing area of ​​​​evening and nightlife, and entertainment : so that in the future it will also act only as a parish church "on the basis" of the Museum.

Nevertheless, the monastery is known for its festivals that take place in September of each year: these events are aimed at preserving and popularizing the old cultural traditions of the country among the population and tourists.

Large-scale restoration work was carried out here quite recently, in 2009-2012. It should be noted that they are still partly ongoing along with research and today: some of the former cells and buildings are still closed to the general public, but you can see that behind some doors still undescribed and unexplored artifacts are stored (in a large gap between for example, I managed to notice, among others, samples of ancient stone carving, which has been very developed since ancient times in this region: fragments of capitals, finials of drains, etc.) - all within the framework of the Greece-Cyprus cooperation program: 2007 -2013

In general, this Museum covers a very wide range of artifacts found both directly in the vicinity of the monastery, and originating from other regions of Cyprus. It is predominantly an archaeological collection with an emphasis on traditional ceramics, architectural objects and icons, mostly of Cypriot origin.

Interestingly: most of the historical exhibits come from the private collection of Archbishop Makarios III, and the icons were transported from churches and monasteries currently located in the territories of the so-called Northern Cyprus occupied by Turkey.

It is also worth saying that the increased number of residents of Ayia Napa necessitated the construction of a new temple, which was carried out in 1994. The new church, built on Seferis Square, just 50 m southwest of the monastery walls, is also dedicated to the Holy Mother of God. Both churches celebrate September 8, the feast day of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Here, daily services of the Cypriot Orthodox Church are held, there is an opportunity to confess and take communion.

Museum address: st. Archbishop Makariu III, pl. Seferi, Ayia Napa
Open: summer (May-November) 08:00 - 16:30, winter (November-May) 08:00 - 15:00; on weekends all year round - until 16:00
Admission is free, donations are welcome.
Phone: +357 23722584
Additionally:

Monastery of Panagia Ayia Napa

History of the monastery

Ayia Napa Monastery is located in the village of the same name in the Famagusta region.

The village got its name from the icon of the Virgin Mary of Napa, which means the Most Holy Forest and was called Ayia Napa in an abbreviated version.

There is enough evidence about when the monastery was founded. Caves, a hiding place and a well, all testify to the existence of a Christian community since the Byzantine era. The name "Ayia Napa" is mentioned for the first time in 1366, but according to the available artifacts, it was applied to this area earlier. The monastery, as it looks today, was founded in the 15th century when Cyprus was under the sovereignty of the Venetians.

Tradition says that in the 9th century, when these lands were covered with dense forests, a hunter accidentally discovered the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, radiating a stream of light. According to local legend, in a cave that has now become a church, a miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos was found by a hunter. The hunting dog was the first to see the luminous icon and began to bark persistently, calling for his master.

A significant number of believers began to visit the holy places of the cave as soon as they learned about the discovery of the icon. In all likelihood, the icon was hidden in a cave during the period of iconoclasm (7th-8th centuries) and has since been saved in this way. In the 14th century the cave was built on and thus a temple was founded.

Another legend tells that in this place the daughter of a noble aristocratic Venetian family took refuge in a cave, because of her parents' refusal to allow marriage with a person of humble origin. It is said that around 1500 a wealthy Venetian built a church, crypts and a mill at her own expense. (The olive mill was apparently installed in the monastery during the period of Turkish rule). Thus, a convent and a Roman Catholic chapel were gradually formed. As a Roman Catholic chapel, the right aisle of the temple served directly near the entrance to it. A huge tree - a sycamore - in the monastery courtyard, which is located next to the reservoir, is said to have been planted by this wealthy Venetian.

Shortly before her death, a stone domed monument-arbor was built. Inside it, next to the coolness of the fountain, she wished to be buried.

In the northern part of the courtyard there is a spring in the shape of a wild boar's head. Above it rises a two-story building in which the daughter of a Venetian aristocrat lived.

On the hill to the west of the church there is a small old church on the spot where, according to legend, the Mother of God once lay down to rest.

In 1571, Cyprus came under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. The monastery, fortunately, unlike other monasteries and churches in Cyprus, was not destroyed. Description by Pietro della Valle, circa 1625, corresponds exactly to the present state of the monastery. From the same Pietro della Valle we learn that in those years the name "Ayia Napa" was worn by a convent, which owned a large amount of land.

In different periods of time, the monastery was both male and female. Shortly before 1668, the monastery became a male monastery, but for unknown reasons, the monks no longer lived there on a permanent basis after 1758.

Initially, the monastery was located in a deserted area. Around the middle of the 18th century, the first residential building was built in the village. The first inhabitants of the village were people from the Greek city of Thessaloniki (Thessalonica), who left their homeland due to the plague. Two decades later, in 1813, according to the still visible inscription, the monastery was renovated. Despite this, the monastery did not have an organized monastic community and leased its property and land holdings to local peasants. The buildings of the monastery were used for various needs and needs of the local community.

After 1878, when Cyprus came under British rule, more monks lived in the monastery. By this time, the church of the monastery had become the parish church of the village. In 1950, a major renovation was carried out in order to preserve the historic buildings.

During the time of Archbishop Makarios III, the monastery was recommended as the most suitable for the formation of the World Center for Christian Conferences. From 1978 to 2006 the monastery was a meeting place for Christian Churches in the Middle East. After the re-establishment of the Holy Metropolis of Constantius Famagusta (2007), the monastery came under the control of the Metropolis and on the initiative of His Eminence Metropolitan Constantius Mr. Vassilios, the Cultural Academy of Saint Epiphanius was founded and the monastery itself is its center. The task of the Academy is the cultivation and development of theological and historical research, as well as the organization of meetings, meetings, conferences and other public events. The church museum will also work within the walls of the monastery.

Monastery today

A growing number of people in the village raised the need to build a new church in 1990. The new temple, built to the southwest of the monastery, was also dedicated to the Theotokos. Both churches celebrate the temple feast on September 8, the day of the feast of the birth of the Virgin Mary.

Every day, couples who are infertile and women who experience difficulties during pregnancy arrive at the temple to bow before the face of the Mother of God, as well as to gird themselves with the miraculous fruitful belt of Ayia Napa. The monastery is a special pious place where everyone with faith can find solace and spiritual peace. The Blessed Mother daily opens her arms to us so wide and warm that they can accommodate every desperate and unfortunate person in order to take away our worries and troubles, no matter how serious they seem. The Virgin Mary intercedes with her effective daily prayers for the salvation of our souls.

Prayer to the Mother of God

Mother of God, Virgin, rejoice!
Blessed Mary, the Lord is with you!
Blessed are You in women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, as if the Savior gave birth to our souls.
It is worthy to eat as if truly blessed Theotokos, Blessed and Immaculate and Mother of our God.
The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, without the corruption of God the Word, who gave birth to the real Mother of God, we magnify Thee.

Ayia Napa also has the following churches and chapels:
1) Saint Barbara
2) St. Epiphany
3) Saint George
4) Saint Paraskeva
5) Saints Timothy and Maura
6) Prophet Elijah
7) Apostle Andrew
8) St. Prokofy

Address of Ayia Napa Monastery / Address

With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Ambrose of Dorostol (BOC) and Metropolitan Basil of Kostantia (Cyprus Archdiocese), the famous sacred objects of Cyprus were brought to Bulgaria for veneration - the miraculous icon of the Virgin (Virgin the Agia Napa) and the honest belt of the Virgin Mary ( see ill.). For the first time in their history, the shrines left Cyprus, and on June 27, 2011, at 18:00, they were honored at a solemn hierarchal service in the presence of Metropolitan Ambrose of Dorostol, diocesan protosyncell Dobri Chakov, and the Cypriot clergy in the newly built church of St. George in the Bulgarian city of Tervel. On June 28, in honor of the Cypriot shrines, a vigil will be held in the church of St. Demetrius s. Kalipetrovo, where the anniversary of the establishment of the Orthodox Center, named after the ever-remembered Metropolitan Hilarion, will also be celebrated.

Moreover, on June 28 at 13 o'clock in the Cathedral of Silistra there will be a solemn meeting of the honorable relics of St. Maximus the Confessor, patron saint of this temple on the Danube. Hand of St. Maximus the Confessor, kept in the monastery of St. Paul on Mount Athos, will be brought to Bulgaria, accompanied by monastics from Athos and the Governor of Athos. On June 29 at 9 a.m., Metropolitan Ambrose, concelebrated by Bishop Boris of Agathonia, hegumen of the Bachkovo Monastery, and Bishop Theodosius of Devolsky, vicar of Patriarch Maxim, will celebrate the Liturgy in the church of Silistra, where the relics of St. Maximus the Confessor.

For reference: The monastery of Agia Napa in Cyprus is located 45 km from the city of Larnaca in Cyprus. The first mention of Agia Napa dates back to the second half of the 14th century. and belong to the famous Cypriot chronicler Leontios Machairas, who mentions this name under 1366 and 1376. The word "nape" in Greek means "forest valley". The monastery was founded in the XII century. at the site of the miraculous discovery of the Blachernae Icon of the Mother of God.

It is believed that the miraculous icon of Agia Napa, as it was later called, was hidden in a cave during the period of iconoclasm that shook the Byzantine Empire from the 7th to the 8th centuries. The news of the miraculous discovery spread with lightning speed to all the surrounding villages, and very soon the cave became a place of pilgrimage for thousands of people. The vaults of this cave repeatedly served as a reliable shelter for local residents during pirate raids on the coast of the island, when foreigners robbed, killed and enslaved Cypriots. Once, when people hiding from pirates were almost dying of thirst, they prayed to the Mother of God. And then a miracle happened again, the Virgin Mary appeared to them and pointed to a source of fresh water that had clogged in one of the corners of their underground shelter. Centuries have passed, but the water in it has not dried up so far.

After 1500, a monastic church was added to the revered cave, where a spring found through the prayers of the Mother of God was preserved, and a convent was founded in honor of the icon of the Virgin of Agia Napa. The biggest shrine of the monastery is the catacomb church of St. Thekla. It is known that St. Thekla is a helper for burns. According to one of the local legends, during the reign of the Venetians (1489 - 1571), a young woman from a noble Venetian family appeared in the monastery, who preferred a solitary monastic life to marriage with an unloved person. At her expense, the renovation of the monastery began, new premises were built. In the center of the courtyard is an octagonal phial covered with a dome resting on four columns ( see ill.). From the side, this building resembles a kind of gazebo. The fountain is decorated with reliefs in the form of garlands, human faces, vases with flowers, animals. It is believed that both the fountain and the two-story building located next to the northern gate were also erected thanks to this woman. A smaller room a little to the west of the church in the 16th century. served as a Catholic chapel and is now owned by the World Council of Churches.

Until 1668, the monastery in Agia Napa was for women. During the Venetian rule in Cyprus, it was often mentioned as one of the flourishing monasteries that owned large landed property. Then it was transformed into a monastery, which functioned until 1758, and then for some reason was closed. The holy monastery was revived again in 1800, but only three monks lived in it, the eldest of whom was called Ioannikios. In 1813, the monastery of Agia Napa was restored again, as there is written evidence. In 1950 the building was restored and since 1978 it has been used by the delegates of the Ecumenical Council of the Churches of Cyprus and the countries of the Middle East.

The exact year of foundation of the monastery is unknown. The cave, cache and spring testify to the existence of a Christian community since Byzantine times. The name "Ayia Napa" is mentioned for the first time in 1366, but, according to available data, it was applied to the area earlier. The monastery in its present form was founded in the 15th century during the Venetian rule in Cyprus.

Photo: Wikipedia

Photo: mandalay.ru

According to local legend, in the cave where the church is now located, one hunter found a miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. The hunter's dog was the first to notice the luminous icon and, stopping in front of it, began barking persistently, attracting the owner's attention. Having learned about the discovery of the icon, numerous believers began to visit the sacred place in the cave. In all likelihood, the icon was placed in a cave during the period of iconoclasm (7th - 8th century AD) and thanks to this it was saved. In the XIV century, the cave was built on and thus the temple was founded.

Photo: travelblog.org

Photo: fotki.yandex.ru

Another legend tells that the daughter of an aristocratic Venetian family took refuge in this place because her parents refused to marry her to a man of humble origin. It is said that around 1500 a wealthy Venetian built a church, crypts and a mill at her own expense. Thus, a nunnery and a Roman Catholic chapel were gradually formed. As a Roman Catholic chapel, the right aisle of the temple served directly near the entrance to it.

Photo: catalog.topcyprus.net

Photo: ferdibobel.livejournal.com

The huge sycamore tree in the monastery courtyard, which is located near the water reservoir, was apparently planted by this wealthy Venetian.

Photo: Wikipedia

Photo: travelblog.org

Photo: fotki.yandex.ru

Photo: mandalay.ru

Shortly before her death, a stone domed monument-arbor was built. Inside it, next to the coolness of the fountain, she wished to be buried.

Photo: Wikipedia

Photo: mandalay.ru

In the northern part of the courtyard there is a spring in the shape of a wild boar's head. A two-story building rises above it, in which the Venetian originally lived.

On the hill to the west of the church there is an ancient church on the site where, according to legend, the Virgin Mary once lay down to rest.

In 1571 Cyprus came under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. The monastery, fortunately, was not destroyed like other monasteries and churches. The description of Pietro della Valle, circa 1625, fully corresponds to the current state of the monastery. From the same narrator, we learn that in those years the name "Ayia Napa" was borne by a nunnery, which possessed extensive real estate.

The monastery became a male monastery shortly before 1668. For unknown reasons, since 1758 the monks no longer lived there on a permanent basis.

Initially, the monastery was located in an uninhabited area. In the middle of the 18th century, the first residential building in the village was built. The first inhabitants of the village, originating from the Greek city of Thessaloniki, left their homeland due to the plague. Two decades later, in 1813, judging by the still visible inscription, the monastery was renovated. At the same time, due to the absence of their brethren in the monastery, the monastic land holdings were leased to the peasants of the surrounding areas. The buildings of the monastery were used for various needs of the local community.

After 1878, when Cyprus came under British rule, the monastery was completely empty. The church of the monastery became the parish church of the village. In 1950, a general reconstruction was required to preserve the historic buildings.

During the time of Archbishop Macarius III, the monastery was recommended as the most suitable for the formation of the World Center for Christian Conferences. From 1978 to 2006 the monastery was a meeting place for the Christian Churches of the Middle East. After the re-establishment of the Holy Metropolis of Constantius of Famagusta (2007), the monastery came under the control of the Metropolitanate, and on the initiative of His Eminence Metropolitan Constantius Mr. Vasilios, the Cultural Academy of Saint Epiphanius was founded with the center in the monastery. The task of the Academy is the development of theological and historical research, as well as the organization of conferences and other public events. The church museum will also function within the walls of the monastery.

Photo: island-kipr.info

Photo: lidyura.ru

The increase in the population of the village required the construction of a new church in 1990. A new church, built to the southwest of the monastery, was also dedicated to the Mother of God. Both temples celebrate the patronal feast on September 8, the day of the Nativity of the Virgin.

Every day, in order to venerate the miraculous image of the Mother of God, which helps in conception and childbirth, as well as to gird herself with the miraculous fruitful belt of the Virgin of Ayia Napa, numerous childless couples and women with problematic pregnancies arrive at the temple. The monastery is a special pious place where everyone can find consolation and holy help by asking the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Monastery address:
Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Virgin Mother of God
PO: 30655
5343 Ayia Napa ,Cyprus

Phones:
Tel: +357-23721795
Fax: +357-23723866

The resort town of Ayia Napa, frankly, is not rich in attractions other than the sea. But there is one interesting ancient place in it - the monastery of Ayia Napa. Among the hustle and bustle of coastal and party life, it is so nice to visit this peaceful, quiet ancient corner.

In the center of Ayia Napa, right in front of the Seferi Square (Plateia Seferi), stands the medieval Orthodox monastery of the Blessed Virgin of Agia Napa. The entrance is free.

stairs to the monastery from the square and ancient sycamore

According to legend, in the 11th century there were dense forests on the site of the city. Once a hunter was making his way through the thickets and saw a bright stream of light coming from a mountain cave (or a dog saw a light and led him to the cave). The hunter approached the cave and saw the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. In all likelihood, the icon was hidden by one of the believers who tried to protect it from the hands of vandals during the struggle against Christian icons in the 8th-9th centuries.

The hunter was surprised and told his fellow villagers about what he saw. Pilgrims began to come to the cave. After its miraculous discovery, the icon was never removed from the cave. She was given the name "Holy Mother of God of Agia Napa", i.e. "Forest", which was later shortened to "Agia Napa".

Ayia Napa icon

A spring with very clear water was found near the cave. Now a well has been built at this place, which is still full of water (holy water from the source, poured into small bottles, is displayed at the entrance to the temple for 1 euro apiece, you can drink from the source in the form of a samovar yourself).

In the 14th century, a small church was built next to the spring. It has survived to this day.

monastery church

The temple has three halls. The oldest one is carved in a cave, from the Byzantine period (969-1991), it has a separate entrance.

church inside, cave hall (Byzantine period, 969-1191)

the second hall of the Venetian period (1478 - 1571), the entrance to it leads from the facade of the church.

church inside, "new" hall (Venetian period, 1478-1571)

The third hall of the period of the Crusades (1192 - 1477), the entrance to it from the second hall.

monastery church. Under the round roof - the third hall, the period of the Crusades

In the 16th century, a two-story building was erected, which stands next to the northern gate of the monastery. The legendary founder of the monastery lived there.

There is an octagonal fountain in the courtyard of the monastery. It was built in the 16th century by a rich girl from Famagusta: her parents wooed her to an unloved person (or did not allow her to marry her beloved, under the pretext that he did not have a noble birth), and she chose to go to a monastery.

octagonal fountain

Here she became an abbess. She also planted a sycamore tree, which still grows there. This is the oldest tree in the Famagusta region.

ancient sycamore

By the way, there is such information about the octagonal fountain built by a Venetian girl: inside it is lined with marble from children's sarcophagi. Later cultures did not hesitate to use for practical purposes any beautiful objects left over from earlier cultures.

fountain building

The monastery was built in the form of a square, the cells of the monks were built in the thickness of the walls (this is a building of the period of the Crusades, 1192-1478).

From the side of the courtyard, a vaulted gallery adjoins the walls, built during the Ottoman rule (1571 - the end of the 18th century).

vaulted gallery

From the courtyard, the monastery with an octagonal fountain covered with a dome strongly resembles the mosques of Cairo.

monastery courtyard

During the Venetian rule of 1478-1571, the monastery was converted into a Catholic one, and the church served both Catholic and Orthodox monks.

In the XVI century the monastery became known throughout Cyprus. He enjoyed the same honor and glory as the monastery of Kykkos. One of the bastions of the fortress of Famagusta was called Agia Napa, because from it there was a road to the monastery. The monastery was so respected that even the Turks, who captured the island in 1570, did not dare to destroy it. The Turks handed over the monastery to the Cypriot Orthodox Church, and for three centuries there was a monastery for men. In 1813 the monastery was restored.
The monastery was a cultural center for the surrounding people. Since 1790, people began to settle around it, and there were so many people who wanted to live near the monastery that a village soon formed.

southern entrance to the monastery

Now the monastery is not functioning, but services are always held in the monastery church, and it is open to pilgrims. In the church of the monastery you can put a candle, it (as elsewhere in Cyprus) is free, you can leave a donation nearby.

Since 1978, the building of the monastery has been used by the delegates of the Ecumenical Council of the churches of Cyprus and the countries of the Middle East.

The rapid growth of the town led to the construction in 1994 of a new church, erected to the southwest of the monastery. The new church also bears the name of the Holy Mother of God and on September 8 of each year, together with the monastery, celebrates the birthday of the Mother of God.

Ayia Napa new church

You can get to the monastery (for those who do not live within walking distance) by bus 101/102 (this is the same route, but it has a different number back and forth), stop "Center" directly opposite the sculpture "I love Agia Napa ". On foot you can walk along the street rising up from the port.

By the way, next to the stairs to the monastery on the square there is a small traditional Cypriot house, proudly calling itself, where you can also look along the way.