Cypriots are an unusually believing people. There are many churches, cathedrals and monasteries on the island. It is the monasteries of Cyprus that are the true pearls of the country. The stories of these shrines are very similar to each other, but each of them is of particular interest to tourists. Often, icons were found in the mountains, which were hidden there during the iconoclasm. After such finds, most of the abbeys in Cyprus settled. People who passionately believe in God perceived such finds as God's providence and a sign in order to build a monastery. There are legends telling that people often had 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 quite justified. The first ascetic monks from the eastern countries rushed here. Later, the monasteries of Cyprus were replenished with believerspersons from Asia Minor, Egypt and Syria, as well as from those states in which Christians did not have the best living conditions. Today, the island has many public monasteries, as well as facilities that used to be shelters for hermits. You can also find the tombs and caves of the first ascetics.
After the island declared its independence, the monasteries of Cyprus reach new heights. On the sites of ancient monasteries, women's and men's monasteries were built, which in our time are open to Christians from all over the Earth. In the cloisters, nuns and monks conduct daily services and do manual labor. The servants of some monasteries are actively cultivating the land. So, the monks grow cereals, olives, fruits and flowers on their own land plots. Many abbeys have their own apiaries and livestock farms.
Cypriot monasteries receive income due to the fact that they sell their own products and various kinds of products. The funds received are used to maintain monasteries, charity events and participation in social and humanitarian programs.
The Monastery of Neophyte the Recluse
For the most part, the monasteries of Cyprus are cenobitic: both men and women live in them. But there are abodes where there is division. The Monastery of Neophyte the Recluse, or St. Neophyte is a male stauropegal monastery. The monastery is completely independent of the diocesan local authorities and is subordinate only to the patriarch. The abbey is located nearTala village.
The monk Neophyte at the beginning of the 12th century built a cave for his seclusion on the site of the future monastery. The cell, which was equipped inside the rock, still exists today. Here the monk lived in complete solitude for 11 years. In 1170, the monk's dwelling began to become a skete, and later it was completely transformed into a monastery. In 1187 Neophyte developed the first charter for it.
At the beginning of the 16th 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. Neophyte, examine the icons of different eras and antique ceramics.
The monastery built by Elena
In the 4th century, Queen Elena organized the monastery of St. Thekla (Cyprus). The royal lady stayed here during her trip from Jerusalem to Constantinople. The woman was praying in the open air, and suddenly a spring appeared from under her feet. Elena immediately decided to build a monastery on this site and dedicate it to Saint Thekla. For a long time, the monastery was either empty, or only one monk lived in it.
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 mud from it can cure a person of many skin diseases. Every year on September 24, a patronal feast is held here.
Monastery in the mountains
Trooditissa Monastery (Cyprus) gets excellent reviews from tourists. This is an active male monastery, whichlocated 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 about the name of the abbey is interesting. The monastery got 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 she settled in one of the caves.
After a while, the monk died, but no one knew about the icon. But one day the village shepherd saw that something was shining inside the mountain, and thus found the holy face. After some time, a temple was built half a kilometer from the cave, which later became a monastery.
Monastery of the German Hermits
Telling about the holy monasteries of Cyprus, it is impossible not to mention the monastery of St. George Alamana. This is a nunnery, which was opened by German hermits from Palestine. Initially, the abbey was open to men, but in the middle of the last century, nuns from a monastery located in Derynia moved here, and it turned into a convent.
