The shrines of the island of Cyprus (part 3)
“... and whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Matthew10: 38)
Village Omodos. Monastery of the Holy Cross.
On the island of Cyprus are many old monasteries, and some are older than others, some are more famous for their shrines. So, in the mountain village of Omodos there is a very old monastery of the Holy Cross. Now it does not function exactly as a monastery, but there it is possible to pray in the temple of the Holy Cross, and go to their museum, arranged in the former monastic cells. It is interesting that the iconostasis was written there by obviously Russian masters, that, looking at it, the impression that you did not leave Russia anywhere.
It so happened that I have more photos from some of the holy places of the island of Cyprus than from others, therefore, unfortunately, in this case, the photos will be separate and the text itself will be separate. And we begin with the monastery of Agia Napa. This is his plan.
This is what his yard looks like.
The most important shrine of the temple is considered to be the Tie of Christ and a particle of the tree of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, which is embedded in a beautiful cross placed in the iconostasis. And in the temple well, just a lot of relics. Among them is the “honest head” of St. Apostle Philip, relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Great Martyrs Varvara and Marina, the Holy Martyr Charalambos and the Great Martyr, the Healer Panteleimon, and also the Holy Martyr Tryphon and some other martyrs, since there are many of them. So those who like to apply to the relics, which have become quite often delivered to the cities of Russia to satisfy the needs of believers, simply simply go to Cyprus and order a tour of its monasteries and first of all get to Omodos. Having kissed them all, you will definitely achieve grace for yourself, because the quantity, sooner or later, well, it will definitely have to turn into good quality!
On the way there you can also wrap up in the village of Levkar, where they make jewelery and silverware. They are very beautiful, but expensive.
Well, if you are a woman, then know that Omodos in Cyprus is also famous for its lace, which local women knit with needles. Lacy napkins, patterned tablecloths and amazing handmade shawls are very beautiful.
And Omodos is famous for the fact that they make famous Cypriot wine "commandra" - "the wine of the crusaders", and here they always arrange for tasting for tourists. But only at first the monastery, and then tasting - this is the rule for those who come here in their cars!
Well, this is a completely self-sufficient wild Cypriot kitten living in wild bushes. But why his photo turned out to be here - more on that below ...
Limassol. Monastery of St. Nicholas (Monastery of cats).
Here it is necessary to distract a little from the divine and talk about cats. There are a great many cats in Cyprus and, unlike cultural Bohemia, where all cats are wearing collars, and stray cats are caught and destroyed, they live a life of free and self-sufficient. They are found in thickets near restaurants. They sleep together in supermarkets, and no one drives them away or offends them. They are fed, watered with water, for which even away from the places of civilization there is a dish for them. But ... unlike our well-willed grandmothers, no one for local cats loaves soaked in milk imposes old macaroni and frozen sprat on them. Cats eat cat-food exclusively! Not the most expensive, of course. But the feed! Throw them broken sausages can only Russian tourists, but local cats are such "handouts" are usually ignored.
The coloring of some Cypriot cats is very different from ours!
Monastic cats waiting for breakfast!
Surprisingly, it is in Cyprus on the outskirts of the city of Limassol there is a completely unique small convent, which, being dedicated to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, received, however, the name "cat". I really wanted to go there, but since I was late for the bus and I didn’t want to wait in the heat, I had to take a taxi. The driver, as it turned out, had a “Russian wife” from Kazakhstan (!), Who headed the “Russian ballet” school here in Cyprus, so I spoke Russian well. History In its interpretation, the cat monastery sounded like this: “Once upon a time, many snakes bred in Cyprus. They began to bite people, and they began to be very afraid. Then, the holy queen Elena, having learned of the disaster, sent a ship to Egypt to bring the cats from there. Supervise the brought cats instructed the nuns of this monastery. They taught them this way: the bell - boom-boom - the gate is open - it's time to go hunting! In the evening - boom boom boom - it's time to go home! Cats quickly dealt with snakes in the district and began to come after them from other places and carry them around the island. And some cats left themselves, became a little pregnant and bred in different wild places. By the way, there is an English military base nearby and you cannot shoot there (he saw my camera). And the planes fly - oo-oo! ”Needless to say - it is easy to work as a spy in Cyprus!
Chandelier in the monastery of Agia Napa.
But what it is, without an explanation and not guess. This is the ceiling in the underground part of the church! That is, you sit, but it hangs over your head.
The monastery was very somehow ... home. There are only six nuns, and how they manage to do everything is just incomprehensible, because not only cats are on their necks, but also a garden and services. As for the cats, there are really a lot of them there. Moire, dlinnolapye, they are not very similar to our fluffy pussies, but all the same - their character is clearly the same and people for them is just a source of their feline benefits, but no more. They are brought here if someone doesn’t need a cat, and ... are carried away if a cat is suddenly required. It is considered a godly deed to take a cat from this particular monastery. In the monastery there is an ancient, albeit a small temple. Tourists are usually not here, and it is here that you feel some kind of energy. Although it is possible that this is just energy from cats. After all, they, by the way, are allowed even to enter the holy altar. Well, the antiquities are around here. So, at the entrance to the monastery there is a well, and so it was built in the VI century. But the funny thing is that on the stones with which this square is paved, the prints of cat's paws are visible, how can this be? However, there is such a thing. Probably, here too, the deal with Nibiru was not without aliens! You will go to this monastery to "rent an English air base", do not forget to take cat food. Their content here is scant, and the nuns will be happy for any help to these cute little animals!
Monastery of St. Thecla in the village Mosfiloti.
North Cyprus. Famagusta.
I have already written about my visit to the ghost town of Famagusta. Before the Turkish occupation, it was the most luxurious resort of Cyprus. Golden beaches stretched for kilometers, fashionable hotels stood in rows. There were 365 temples in the city - by the number of days per year, so that every day of the year at least one of them had a patronal feast day. Now a significant part of Famagusta is fenced with barbed wire, it is guarded by UN troops, and if you get caught there, then the fine is 10 thousand euros!
In northern Cyprus, you can take pictures far from everywhere, as the relevant posters warn you. For example, you can not take off from military bases and even here at this place - the shooting range of the Turkish army. But ... it was necessary to move far away, and climb the mountain higher, namely, the tower of Cupid’s castle, as the whole polygon was in full view. There he is far left, and even shooting targets can be discerned in the photo.
If you are by car, you can ride around the preserved monasteries. Of course, the Turks looted them, but not all. Much preserved. Well, in the heart of Famagusta, you can visit the mosque in the temple of St. Nicholas, built in the XIV century on the model of the Reims Cathedral in the late Gothic style by the Cypriot kings from the Lusignan dynasty. Today it is the mosque of Lala Mustafa. Well, a very strange place ...
The Church of St. Nicholas - Lala Mustafa Mosque. Inside view.
And this too. What is still internal, but external is also the strength of this medieval gothic ...
Tourists are carried in Northern Cyprus and to Bellapais Abbey, one of the most beautiful monuments of Cyprus Gothic architecture, built by the crusaders in the early 13th century, not far from Kyrenia. At first it was just one of the monasteries, no more. But in the 1246 year, according to the will of the knight Roger Normand, he received a fragment of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord straight from Jerusalem, and also the 600 bezant.
The ruins of Bellapais Abbey in Northern Cyprus. Very picturesque ruins, what to say.
Signpost in Greek, English and Turkish.
“Tourists in the motley crowd of Bellapais wander ...”
Naturally, having learned about it, thousands of pilgrims reached the monastery, leaving him generous donations for prayers for their sins, and the monastery’s wealth began to grow by leaps and bounds. Good, however, it did not end. In the XVI century. the monks of the monastery fell into such profligacy that they even had to close it. Then the Turks looted it, but then, having plundered, they transferred it to the Cypriot Orthodox Church. And today, to some extent, these are simply the ruins of a Catholic monastery where a music festival is being held, while in one part of the abbey there is an Orthodox church.
The coat of arms of Lusignan over the entrance to the refectory.
Inside the current Orthodox Church.
And this is how the gothic basements of the abbey look like.
What is the nature of filming historical films!
Monastery of Agia Napa
However, to get to a very interesting and unusual monastery in the event that you relax in the town of Ayia Napa, you just need to get to the center of this town. A huge sycamore grows there. Well, just huge. Previously, these grew throughout the island, but then they were cut down for firewood for copper smelters. And just next to it is the monastery of Agia Napa.
Here it is, this huge symmor! Once here from these sycamore locals and built their ships.
The fruits of the sykomornogo tree.
Thus, the word “napa” in Greek means “forest”, and “agia” means holy. Legends say that before there was a dense forest of such sycamore here, and once a hunter wandered here and saw the light coming from a cave located right there. Out of curiosity, which, as we know, the engine of progress, he thrust himself into this cave and found an icon of the Virgin Mary there, which the monks apparently hid here. Well, there was such a period in the history of Byzantium in the 8th and early 9th centuries, when persecution of icons was carried out there and many of them were hidden in different secret places. This amazing find and gave its name to this place. The fact is that the icon found in the cave was given the name “Virgin Napa”, but then it was reduced to Agia Napa. Already in the XV century. here a small church was erected above the cave, which over time was built by other buildings and turned into a monastery.
Entrance to the underground church.
Nearby a source of clear water was found, to which a miraculous force was naturally attributed. Inside the monastery you can make historical films, so everything is breathing with antiquity. For example, there is an amazing fountain, made in the form of a boar's head, and in the middle of the courtyard there is an unusual fountain under the roof in the shape of a dome.
"Pork head".
In one of the nearby villages I met this little church of the 11th century. It's amazing how it has been preserved since then, but somehow it has been preserved.
And this is her altar.
"Fountain yard" in the monastery of Agia Napa. It was here, as the legend says, that the founder of this monastery was buried.
Well, in the cave under a low stone vault is now a church and services are held. But ... people prone to claustrophobia will be hard to be there.
To be continued ...
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