Kikos Mountain shrine: monastery as a monument of Orthodox culture

Cyprus has attracted huge tourist flows for many years. The beauty of the Cypriot nature, of course, is not in doubt, but the cultural attractions of the island deserve close attention. Monasteries, temples, monuments of architecture created in time immemorial, it is difficult to re-read.

The richest and majestic Orthodox monastery in Cyprus is named after its location. For ten centuries he has been rising on the mountain of Kikos. The monastery was created by the Byzantine emperor in the far 11th century. According to legend, the monastery owes its origin to the hermit Isaiah. Once the Byzantine governor got lost in these places and met a hermit. Isaiah did not want to show a way out of the nobility, and he brutally acted with him. After a while, the car struck the Byzantine governor, and his daughter became very ill. Then he remembered the poor hermit. Isaiah did not ask him for anything, except for the icon of the Virgin, created by St. Luke, which was kept in the Imperial Palace in Constantinople. The icon was stolen and placed on Mount Kikos. The monastery and the church later grew up on this site.

According to another version, the icon, written by St. Luke, was brought by Emperor Alexei Kionin personally. He also contributed to the construction of the monastery and the church. The name of the monastery is also shrouded in a fleur of mystery. There is a legend that his appearance was predicted by a small bird living in these parts. She sang a song about the fact that the mountain would become a monastery, repeating at the same time: "Kikos, kikos." A more prosaic version explains the name of the mountain by the fact that a fruit called "coconut" grows on it.

The monastery of Kikos is a cross (it was based on the Holy Cross). The icon of the Virgin is already within a thousand years in the walls of the monastery.

Originally the building was wooden. However, after a fire in the middle of the 14th century, it was rebuilt. Since that time, the monastery of Kikos in Cyprus began to acquire its modern look.

Now it is a real decoration of Mount Kikos, the monastery is a complex of residential and economic solid stone buildings. Its walls are decorated with mosaics, arched passages.

In the courtyards there are deep wells, as well as elements of an ancient building. He shines with magnificence and beauty in many respects thanks to the present rector Bishop Nekiphoros.

The real miracle of the monastery is the icon of the Mother of God "Joy and Consolation", written off from the same icon on Mount Athos. In 1997, she began to melt. Thousands of pilgrims wanting to join the miracle are sent to Mount Kikos. The monastery opens the doors for tourists who can visit the museum here. Here you can see old icons, various elements of church furniture, ancient books and much more. The exhibits of the museum are not only religious monuments, but also general cultural objects of antiquity.
In total, there are 4 halls in the museum, each of which is dedicated to one or another topic. The museum is open all year round. Students and children go to it for free, but adults pay 5 euros.