Chapels

The Church of Panagia Karmiotissa, located northwest of Polemidia and near the new Limassol Hospital, is an abandoned old monastery of the Carmelite monks. On the site where the church stands today, there was many years ago a monastery dedicated to Panagia Eleousa. This monastery was built in the early 14th century by the Carmelite monks, a monastic order of Western Roman Catholics. Unfortunately, there is not much information about the history of this monastery, nor about the exact time of its abandonment.

At a short distance from the parish church of Panagia Evangelistria, and to its west, stands a beautiful and well-preserved church dedicated to Saint George the Great Martyr and Trophy-Bearer. This church, which impresses visitors with its grandeur and architecture, dates back to the 15th–16th century. This church, which once flourished and served as the center of the parish and the entire community, was gradually neglected over the years and suffered significant damage.

The Church of Saint George in Akapnou is a fine example of traditional Cypriot ecclesiastical architecture. It is a single-aisled, timber-roofed basilica located in the center of the village, and its construction is believed to date back to the 18th century. The church preserves the simple architectural style typical of Cyprus’s rural churches, featuring a traditional wooden roof covered with clay tiles and built using locally sourced materials. It was consecrated in 1922 and remains an important part of the village’s religious and cultural heritage.

At the western edge of the village stands the picturesque Church of the Archangel Michael, which replaced an earlier medieval church, as recalled by the village’s older residents. According to local tradition, the church courtyard once hosted village festivals attended by almost the entire community, highlighting its important role in the social life of the village. The present church was consecrated on 6 September 1987 by Metropolitan Chrysostomos II of Paphos. It is a small, whitewashed, and well-maintained chapel with a paved courtyard. Its interior is simple, featuring a wooden iconostasis bearing only three portable icons. In recent years, the church has been gradually adorned with frescoes by the iconographer Andreas Papa-Aristodemou. Today, the church remains an active place of worship, serving mainly during the major feast days of the Archangel Michael, as well as for religious ceremonies such as baptisms. It continues to be an important landmark for both the local faithful and visitors.

The village of Kouka was once home to one of the earliest monasteries in the Limassol district. Today, however, only the Church of the Holy Cross survives. The church is a rare example of ecclesiastical architecture, distinguished by its perfectly cross-shaped ground plan, which gives the building its unique architectural significance.

The Church of Saint George the Trophy-Bearer is located among cultivated fields and is now in a state of ruin. It has been designated a Category B Ancient Monument by the Department of Antiquities. Built of local stone, the church survives only as ruins, parts of which have been carefully gathered and preserved in anticipation of a possible future restoration. Despite its condition, the local community continues to honor the church’s religious significance by maintaining a temporary vigil lamp (kantili) at the site and expressing the hope that the monument will one day be restored. In the meantime, a simple provisional chapel has been erected within the village, where services continue to be held and prayers are offered in honor of Saint George.

The Church of the Holy Cross is located southwest of Anogyra and was built in the late 15th century on the foundations of an Early Christian basilica. It formed part of an old monastic complex and is distinguished by its single-aisled, barrel-vaulted design with a central dome. The church preserves remarkable wall paintings executed in the Palaeologan artistic style. Although they have suffered the effects of time, these frescoes remain important examples of post-Byzantine religious art in Cyprus, reflecting the island’s rich artistic and ecclesiastical heritage.

The Church of Saint John the Baptist is located on the street bearing the same name and serves as the main parish church of the village of Vouni. According to local tradition, four settlements once existed in the area. At the beginning of the 17th century, three of them were abandoned following an epidemic that struck Cyprus, while Vouni remained inhabited, as it was believed to have been protected by Saint John the Baptist. The inhabitants of the deserted settlements subsequently moved to Vouni, where an earlier monastery dedicated to the saint had already been established. The present church is distinguished by its finely crafted stone masonry and the ornate stone frames surrounding its entrances. Its richly decorated bell tower is one of its most striking architectural features. Inside, the church preserves notable 19th-century icons and wall paintings, while the building itself is protected by the Department of Antiquities as an important cultural and historical monument.

The Church of Saint Marina stands prominently in the center of Kyperounta and has long been the spiritual and social heart of the village. Dating back to the 13th century, it is a three-aisled, timber-roofed basilica distinguished by its traditional architecture and its harmonious integration into the mountainous landscape of the Troodos region. The church is built from rough-hewn local stone from the Troodos Mountains, complemented by timber elements that create a warm and welcoming interior. Among its most notable features are the finely crafted double wooden entrance doors, the terracotta-tiled floor, the elegant wooden women’s gallery (gynaikonitis), and the imposing bell tower constructed of finely carved limestone. Together, these architectural elements highlight the church’s aesthetic appeal and its significant historical and cultural value.

The Church of Panagia and Christ the Saviour is nestled in a lush green valley near Kyperounta, surrounded by tall deciduous trees and a beautifully landscaped area featuring a park, fountains, benches, and an artificial stream. The peaceful natural setting, combined with the church’s centuries-old history, makes it a unique place of pilgrimage and a popular destination for visitors. The church is a two-aisled structure with the characteristic timber roof typical of Cyprus’s mountain churches. Its present form dates to the 18th century. Of particular historical significance is the fact that, during the Venetian period, it functioned as a shared church, serving both the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic communities. Inside, the church preserves an impressive carved wooden iconostasis. Among its most important treasures are the portable icons of the Virgin and Child (1556), the Virgin Hodegetria, and the Transfiguration of Christ the Saviour, all of which are outstanding examples of Cyprus’s ecclesiastical artistic heritage.

The Church of the Holy Cross is one of the most important and oldest monuments in Kyperounta. Located a short distance from the village’s main square, it dates back to the Frankish period and is the oldest surviving chapel in the community. Its single-aisled design and characteristic timber roof are typical of the traditional architecture of Cyprus’s mountain churches, while its lush green surroundings enhance the monument’s distinctive beauty and tranquil atmosphere. The church preserves remarkable frescoes dating to 1521, which are important examples of post-Byzantine religious art in Cyprus. Since 1995, the building has housed an exhibition of the village’s ecclesiastical treasures, including historic icons, sacred vessels, and liturgical objects, transforming this historic chapel into a small ecclesiastical museum. The church celebrates its annual feast on 1 August, marking the Procession of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, an important feast in the Orthodox Christian calendar.

The Chapel of Panagia Syrka, situated between Agios Georgios Sylikou and the village of Sylikou, is associated with a former settlement and longstanding local traditions of devotion and pilgrimage. Dating to the late 19th century (1897), the chapel is renowned for its icon of the Virgin Mary, known locally as the “Syngia.” According to local tradition, the chapel has long been linked to miraculous interventions and healing, particularly in cases of illness, making it an important place of worship and pilgrimage for the faithful.

The Holy Monastery of Panagia Amasgou is built on a low hill on the eastern bank of the Kouris River, approximately 1.5 kilometres southwest of the village of Monagri. It is one of the most important Byzantine monastic complexes in Cyprus, with a history spanning more than nine centuries. The exact date of the monastery’s foundation and the identity of its founder remain unknown. However, the earliest frescoes in the katholikon (main church) date to the beginning of the 12th century, suggesting that the monastery was most likely established in the late 11th or early 12th century, a period when many of Cyprus’s major monasteries were founded. Throughout its long history, the monastery underwent repeated destruction, renovations, and extensions. The katholikon is a single-aisled, barrel-vaulted church with a pointed vault and a characteristic two-pitched timber roof covered with tiles. The present building is the result of several successive construction phases. Parts of the original church, including sections of the apse and side walls, have survived, while significant alterations were carried out at the end of the 12th century and during the 16th century, when the structure was reinforced and the current entrances and openings were formed. The interior of the church preserves exceptionally important frescoes dating from different historical periods. The earliest, from the beginning of the 12th century, include depictions of Saint Spyridon and the Holy Fathers Athanasios. From the late 12th and early 13th centuries, scenes from the life of Christ are preserved, including the Annunciation, Nativity, Baptism, Transfiguration, Crucifixion, Raising of Lazarus, Descent into Hades, Ascension, Presentation of Christ, and Pentecost. The frescoes also include representations of Cypriot saints and important hymnographers of the Church. Later frescoes from the 14th century and from 1564 enrich the extensive iconographic programme with depictions of the Virgin Mary, the Communion of the Apostles, the Presentation of the Virgin, and numerous saints. The history of the monastery is closely connected with the ecclesiastical history of Cyprus. During the 17th century, it became the subject of disputes between the Metropolitan See of Kition and the Patriarchate of Alexandria. In 1700, its ownership was officially confirmed in favour of the Metropolitan See of Kition through a synodal act of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. From the end of the 18th century onwards, the monastery was abandoned by the monks and remained in decline for a long period. The revival of the monastery began in 1992, when the katholikon and monastic buildings were restored, while new facilities were constructed in accordance with traditional architectural principles. Since then, the monastery has once again operated as a women’s coenobitic monastery, continuing its centuries-old spiritual tradition and serving as an important place of pilgrimage and cultural heritage in Cyprus.

The Church of Saint George is located in the centre of the community of Monagri and is one of the village’s most important historical monuments. It is a single-aisled, barrel-vaulted church with a distinctive pointed arch, dating back to the late 15th or early 16th century. The interior preserves remarkable frescoes from the same period, which represent important examples of post-Byzantine ecclesiastical painting in Cyprus and reflect the artistic traditions and religious heritage of the era.

The Church of Saint Basil is located approximately three kilometres west of the village of Kaminaria and represents an important example of the region’s ecclesiastical heritage. It is a small, single-room timber-roofed church dating back to the 16th century, with a later western narthex and a sloping roof. The church preserves remarkable 16th-century frescoes which, despite the damage they have suffered over time, remain significant examples of the local artistic tradition of the period. Its architecture is characterized by its simplicity, with a rectangular plan terminating in a semicircular apse, while traces of an earlier portico are preserved along the southern side. After a long period of abandonment, during which the church suffered considerable deterioration, it was restored by the Department of Antiquities in 1966, largely returning it to its original form. Today, it stands as a peaceful religious monument within the natural landscape of Kaminaria, offering visitors the opportunity to experience the traditional architecture and Byzantine heritage of the mountainous Limassol region.

The Church of Panagia is located on a hill at the western edge of Kaminaria and is an important monument of the region’s Byzantine heritage. It is a small, single-room timber-roofed church dating back to the 16th century, preserving remarkable frescoes from the same period. Among the surviving representations, the Crucifixion of Christ, the Virgin Mary in the apse, and various figures of saints are particularly noteworthy. The frescoes reflect the Byzantine artistic tradition while also incorporating influences from Western art. The church stands as an important example of the religious and artistic heritage of the mountainous Limassol region. After a long period of abandonment, during which the church suffered considerable deterioration, it was restored by the Department of Antiquities in 1966, largely returning it to its original form. Today, it stands as a peaceful religious monument within the natural landscape of Kaminaria, offering visitors the opportunity to experience the traditional architecture and Byzantine heritage of the mountainous Limassol region.

The Church of Saint Hermolaos is located in the village of Kaminaria and is a small, single-aisled timber-roofed church, most likely dating back to the 17th century. The church has a particularly elongated form and may have replaced an earlier ecclesiastical structure. It was conserved and restored by the Department of Antiquities in 1995. The interior preserves a number of important icons, including works from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, which represent significant examples of Cyprus’s traditional icon-painting heritage.