Cypriots are an extraordinarily faithful people. The island has many churches, cathedrals and monasteries. It is the monasteries of Cyprus that are the true pearls of the country. The stories of these shrines are much in common with each other, but each of them is of particular interest to tourists. Often in the mountains they found icons that were hidden there during the time of iconoclasm. After such finds, most of the abbeys in Cyprus settled. People who passionately believe in God took such finds as divine providence and a sign in order to build a monastery. There are legends telling that often people saw dreams, from which they received information about exactly where the icon was buried and where the future monastery should be.
General information about Cypriot monasteries
Cyprus is called the "island of saints." And this name is fully justified. The first ascetic monks from eastern countries rushed here. Later, the monasteries of Cyprus were replenished by believers from Asia Minor, Egypt and Syria, as well as from those states in which the living conditions were not the best for Christians. Today, the island has many public monasteries, as well as objects that used to be the havens of hermits. You can also find the tombs and caves of the first ascetics.
After the island declared its independence, the monasteries of Cyprus reach a new heyday. In the places of the ancient cloisters, female and male monasteries were built , which in our time are open to Christians from all over the Earth. In the cloisters, nuns and monks conduct worship services daily and engage in manual labor. Ministers of some monasteries actively cultivate the land. So, monks grow cereals, olives, fruits and flowers on their own land. In many abbeys you can find your own apiaries and livestock farms.
Cypriot monasteries receive income due to the fact that they sell their own products and all kinds of products. The funds received go to the maintenance of monasteries, charity events and participation in social and humanitarian programs.
Hermit Neophytos Monastery
The majority of the monasteries of Cyprus are sociable: both men and women live in them. But there are such cloisters in which there is a division. The Neophytos Monastery of the Recluse, or St. Neophytos, is a male stavropegal monastery. The monastery is completely independent of the diocesan local authority and is subordinate only to the patriarch. The abbey is located near the village of Tala.
Monk Neophytus at the beginning of the XII century on the site of the future monastery arranged a cave for his retreat. The cell, which was equipped inside the rock, exists today. Here the monk lived alone for 11 years. In 1170, the monk’s dwelling began to become a monastery, and later it was completely transformed into a monastery. In 1187, the Neophyte developed the first charter for him.
At the beginning of the XVI century the main temple of the monastery was erected. Today, there is a museum on the territory of the monastery, where you can get acquainted with the manuscripts of St. Neophytos, consider icons from different eras and antique ceramics.
Monastery built by Elena
In the IV century, Queen Helena organized the monastery of St. Thecla (Cyprus). The royal lady stayed here during her trip from Jerusalem to Constantinople. The woman was praying in the open air, and suddenly a source appeared from beneath her feet. Elena immediately decided to build a monastery on this place and dedicate it to Saint Thekla. For a long time, the monastery was empty, now only a monk lived in it.
The restoration of the monastery began only in the 1960s. Today it is a monastery for women. It is said that the source discovered by the queen has healing properties. And the dirt from it can heal a person from many skin diseases. Every year on September 24, a patronal festival is held here.
Monastery in the mountains
Trooditissa Monastery (Cyprus) gets great reviews from tourists. This is a working male monastery, which is located in the Troodos mountains. Travelers who have been there say that local residents and guides tell a wide variety of legends about this place. For example, the story of the name of the abbey is interesting. The monastery received its name from the icon painted by Luke. History does not know the name of the monk who brought the icon to the island during the iconoclasm. But it is known that this person wandered around the monasteries of the island until the moment she settled in one of the caves.
After a while, the monk died, and no one knew about the icon. But once a village shepherd saw that something was shining inside the mountain, and thus found a holy face. After a while, half a kilometer from the cave, a temple was built, which later became a monastery.
Monastery of German Hermits
Talking about the holy monasteries of Cyprus, it is impossible not to mention the monastery of St. George to Alaman. This is a women's monastery, which was opened by Germanic hermits from Palestine. Initially, the abbey was open to a man, but in the middle of the last century, nuns moved here from a monastery located in Derynia, and it turned into a female monastery.