Cypriot adventures of St. Thekla
Chapel of Hayia Thekla (St. Thekla). Photo cyprusbutterfly.com.cy
“And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me, he cannot be My disciple. ... and whoever does not bear his cross and come after me, my disciple cannot be.”
Gospel of Luke 14:27
Gospel of Luke 14:27
History and culture. And it so happened that Valery Ryzhov’s material about the celebration of St. Thekla in Spain had just just come out on VO. He wrote everything about her very interestingly, but to my great surprise it turned out that I have ... a continuation of his story, only from a slightly different “end”. He spoke about the veneration of the saint in Spain, but I have something to tell about her veneration on the island of Cyprus.
In the evening in "Paradise ..." it was like this: beautiful and mysterious! Author's photo
I must start with the fact that, being in Cyprus for the first time in 2014 and knowing practically nothing about it, I was extremely struck by the abundance of all kinds of Orthodox shrines on this island. That is, there they were literally at every step, and almost on the beach itself!
And these are the same bungalows, but from the other side. Ride whatever, play whatever! Author's photo
Our Tsokkos Paradise Village hotel was far from the center of Ayia Napa, a city on the southern coast of Cyprus, but far from the noise and relatively close to the Water World water park. This is a wonderful place to relax with two-story bungalows and a pool of such size that you don’t even need to go to the sea. The daughter and granddaughter wished to go to the water park, but my wife and I went with them for a company to walk around the neighborhood.
The highway we went along was called "Saint Thekla" and it took us, after we had seen our two girls "furious" in the water park, to a very original place - a deserted seashore and a beautiful blue and white building standing on it. It turned out that this is exactly the chapel of St. Thekla, next to which, as the elderly Greek caretaker explained to us, there is also a saint's cave! “Here, I think it’s lucky! Accidentally discovered such an interesting place! However, we did not like the cave. Dark, narrow, and reeking of incense. How she lived there, if she lived, only God knows.
Then, on a cape opposite the Adams Beach Hotel on one side and Nissi Island on the other, we found a small but very cozy chapel of St. Andrew and found out that there are many similar chapels right on the seashore. That is, you bathed, took a decent look, went there and prayed, and again you can go to enjoy the sea and the sun.
Chapel of St. Andrew in Ayia Napa. Author's photo
At first, I was very surprised by the very intimate dimensions of these chapels, but then I immediately met several churches of the XNUMXth-XNUMXth centuries similar in size to them. So the modern Greeks had something to take as a model, and after all, faith in God does not depend on the size of His temple.
Church of St. Mary of the VIII century (eighth century!!!) in the town of Paralimni, but for some reason the locals call it the Church of St. Anna. It was built in the form of a cross with a dome and is an example of Byzantine architecture. Author's photo
Her iconostasis. Most of the icons and the Crucifixion in the upper part of the iconostasis date back to the XNUMXth century. Author's photo
And then it turned out that in the same place in Cyprus, not far from the city of Larnaca, there is also the Orthodox monastery of St. Thekla. Moreover, it is in this monastery that the largest part of the relics of the saint is located, although the cave in which, according to legend, Thekla died, is located in Syria, near the village of Maalula. It turns out that after the conquest of Byzantium by the Turks, saving them from desecration, they divided them, and one part of them remained in Maaloula, while the other was taken to the island of Cyprus and preserved in the temple of the ancient monastery of St. Thekla of the XNUMXth century near the village of Mosfiloti.
Well, the temple itself in this place, and it was in the XNUMXth century, appeared not by chance. It just so happened that when the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Empress Helena was returning to Constantinople from Jerusalem, she also visited the island of Cyprus on the way. And where St. Helena stood, suddenly a spring gushed out of the ground. It is clear that this water was holy, so Elena ordered to build a temple on this very place, but they consecrated it just in honor of the first Christian martyr, St. Thekla.
Inner courtyard of the monastery. Photo cyprusbutterfly.com.cy
The iconostasis in the temple of the monastery of St. Thekla. Photo cyprusbutterfly.com.cy
In Cyprus, the monastery of St. Thekla is known to every Cypriot. On October 7, on St. Thekla's Day, Christians from all over the island rush here. Take a bath at the spring. And ... they collect healing clay in it, which is applied to the body and thus healed from dermatological diseases. There is also a stand with photographs of children covered with scabs and lichen (it is better not to look at the faint of heart) and next to them are other photographs of the same children, but already healed with the help of this healing clay!
This is where people go for clay and holy water ... Photo cyprusbutterfly.com.cy
Miraculous clay is located under the altar of the temple, where is the source of holy water. Miracles of healing happen in this monastery all the time and, being confirmed by medicine, are recorded by the sisters in a thick book - a real book of miracles! You can collect clay absolutely free of charge. For this, a hole was made under one of the steps leading to the altar, which all visitors use. In addition, people also receive healing from burns from the relics of St. Thekla.
However, something else is known today, namely, that the monastery church was built not at all in the 1475th century, but in XNUMX, although this is also a very long time. And more ancient buildings on the territory of the monastery were not found.
But it is known for sure that the iconostasis of the monastery dates back to the middle of the 1806th century. And then, in the middle of the XNUMXth century, the famous Cypriot icon painter monk Filaret painted icons for him. As for the main icon of St. Thekla, it was painted in XNUMX by the icon painter Ioannikis, although its rich silver casing was made a little later. This icon of St. Thekla in Cyprus is one of the most revered.
The miraculous icon of St. Thekla. Photo cyprusbutterfly.com.cy
Cancer with the relics of St. Thekla. Photo cyprusbutterfly.com.cy
In total, there are about 500 (!) Orthodox monasteries on the relatively small island of Cyprus. For example, one such monastery, as it turned out, is located right in the center of Ayia Napa. Moreover, the church of the XNUMXth century that has been preserved here is partially hollowed out in its rocky foundation, below ground level.
The building of the monastery church in the center of Ayia Napa. Author's photo
But what is it, you know? This is the ceiling of the underground part of the temple, hanging over the heads of those who come here to pray. Author's photo
But in the elevated part of the monastery church you can see a completely stunning chandelier. Author's photo
By the way, an ancient sycamore tree grows at the southern gate of this monastery - according to legend, it is over 600 years old, and looking at it, it is not difficult to believe it. Author's photo
No less impressive chandeliers can be found in Bellapais Abbey on the north side of the island, in its preserved Christian church. Author's photo
But the most surprising thing is that even the coats of arms of the Lusignan family were preserved there above the entrance to the refectory! Author's photo
And how many shrines there are in Cyprus, it’s simply impossible to count them, as if they were specially brought there from all over the world, but maybe that’s exactly how it was. For example, it was in Cyprus that Lazarus died, well, the one whom Christ personally resurrected, and who himself after that became a saint, and his remains turned into relics and are now exhibited in the Church of St. Lazarus in Larnaca. By the way, the name Lazar is nothing more than a shortened form of the Hebrew name Eleazar, which means "God helped me."
In this photo, the shrine with the relics of St. Lazarus is at the bottom right. Author's photo
Here is a close-up of this cancer. Author's photo
In the center of the shrine was something that looked like a naked coconut, and I did not immediately realize that it was ... the top of his skull. And so she should have been either kissed or held over her hand in order to receive a bit of grace. My wife and daughter held their hands and felt “energy flowing” in their palms. Then our granddaughter and I held our hands, but ... for some reason they didn’t feel anything.
By the way, in the monasteries there, religious objects are sold simply in huge quantities. I have never seen so many in one place.
You can buy just such a very rich and expensive icon. Author's photo
And you can and this, antique. For only 28 euros. But there are cheaper - for 15! Although now, most likely, they have risen in price, like everything else. Author's photo
By the way, the fact that European countries are closed from us today does not interfere with enjoying the beauties of the medieval Gothic style in Cyprus. Indeed, there, however, on the northern, that is, the Turkish side, there is the city of Famagusta, and in it the temple of St. Nicholas of the XIV century, stunning in beauty, has been preserved. - practically a copy of the Reims Cathedral, only that temple was built of gray stone, and this one of yellow sandstone.
Cathedral of St. Nicholas. But the Muslims built a mosque inside it. And ... they added a minaret to it on the left! Author's photo
The main thing is that the cathedral inside did not lose its grandeur at all. Undress and enter! Author's photo
And this is how St. Nicholas Cathedral in Famagusta looks from afar
A real medieval look, isn't it?
In Cypriot cats, by the way, there is also a bit of holiness, because the same St. Helena brought them to the island when she returned home from Egypt to Constantinople. She brought cats not for fun, but in order for them to exterminate the snakes that had bred on it. The cats were clearly told what they should do, and they wiped out all the snakes on the island to the root. There is even a special convent of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker "Cat", where both nuns and tourists who visit it take care of them. After all, it was from here that cats began to settle around the island and cleanse it of snake misfortune.
The suit of Cypriot cats is very unusual - moire. And they live quite well in the wild thickets. They are fed and watered near each store, so why not live in the bushes for a while in the summer?!
These moiré seals are found everywhere there! Author's photo
PS By the way, French Catholics resolutely insist that St. Equal-to-the-Apostles First Martyr Thekla spent her last years... in France.
According to this version, St. Thekla crossed the sea, arrived in Gaul (France), settled in the mountains, where she lived her last years and there she rested in the Lord. Here she was buried, and a temple was built on the grave. The most important thing is that the French made this temple a place of pilgrimage to the grave of the Holy First Martyr Theokla! At one time, in the USSR, a funny movie “12 Graves of Khoja Nasreddin” was shot, and this example - well, it’s just as if taken from there!
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