Agia Napa Monastery

Agia Napa

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Surreally surrounded by modern temples to partying, this beautiful monastery is a serene reminder of the great history of Agia Napa. Built in 1500 by the Venetians, it protects a cave in which an icon of the Virgin Mary was hidden during the iconoclasm of the 7th and 8th centuries. Surviving Ottoman rule undamaged, it served as both a convent and a monastery during different periods until it was abandoned in 1758.

The structure is remarkably well preserved. Stout protective walls open up onto a peaceful arcaded courtyard, with a marble fountain dating from 1530, covered by a domed stone roof. Also of interest is the enormous 600-year-old sycamore tree just outside the southern gate, which has modern steel props designed to help hold its giant branches.

The modest church has steps down into the cave alcove where the Virgin Mary icon was hidden.

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