So far, six Maronite monuments, one Armenian monument, and two Latin monuments have been preserved or restored in the occupied areas, while the conservation of the Armenian Monastery in Halevka is in the works, Sotos Ktoris, co-chair of the Bi-communal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, told CNA. 

For her part, historian, archaeologist, and author Anna Marangou, presents to CNA the history of the religious monuments of the Maronites, Armenians, and Latins located in the occupied areas. 

Monuments That Have Been Preserved 

Sotos Ktoris reports that, to date, six Maronite monuments, one Armenian monument, and two Latin monuments have been preserved or restored in the occupied areas, 

Referring to the Maronite monuments, he notes that the Church of St. Anne in medieval Famagusta has been restored, as have the Church of Sts. Marina and Theodore in Kormakiti, the Church of Saint Marina in Agia Marina Skylloura, the Church of the Holy Cross in Karpasia, the Church of the Archangel Michael in Asomatos, and the Church of St. George in Kormakiti.
 

At the same time, he notes that the Armenian church in medieval Famagusta has been restored, as well as two Latin monuments in medieval Famagusta, the churches of St. George of the Latins in medieval Famagusta and Our Lady of the Carmelites. 

In addition, it emphasizes that the restoration of the Armenian Monastery in Halevka is underway. 

Armenian Religious Monuments 

Referring to the Armenian religious community, Ms. Marangou notes that Armenians have inhabited Cyprus since the 8th century AD, due to the population displacement from Cilicia carried out by the Byzantines. The Armenians who came to Cyprus settled in various parts of the island, but mainly in the southern slopes of the Pentadaktylos mountain range, she adds.  

At the same time, he notes that the Armenians were craftsmen with exceptional expertise in the construction of fortifications, noting the enormous influence of Armenian castles on similar Cypriot ones, such as those in Kantara and Kyrenia.  

As for their religious needs, he points out that during the medieval period, the Armenians of Cyprus took over a monastery that had been built in Chaleuka on Mount Pentadaktylos by Coptic monks around 1000 A.D. in honor of Saint Macarius the Hermit of Alexandria. This monastery, known as the Armenian Monastery, belongs to the Armenian Church; it has a long history and considerable wealth, with the 17th and 18th centuries marking its golden age, during which it was also known as the “Blue Monastery” because of the color of its doors and windows and held a firman from the Sultan granting it tax exemption, he adds.  

The monastery played a prominent role in Cypriot history until the early 20th century, receiving support from the prominent Armenian families of Nicosia and Famagusta, Anna Marangou tells CNA, noting that “an entire community is being built there, in which a great many Armenian residents of Nicosia participate, mainly during the summer holidays.” 

Noting that she herself had conducted a historical study of the Armenian Monastery with the help of Alexandros Hatzilyras, Ms. Marangou emphasizes that “the time has come for its restoration to begin” by the Bi-communal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage.  In addition to the monastery at Pentadaktylos, another important religious monument of the Armenians of Cyprus is the Church of Panagia Tyros, located in the Armenian quarter of Nicosia, near the Paphos Gate, notes Ms. Marangou, explaining that the church originally “belonged to Benedictine nuns who had come from Tyre with a very miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary and built this large monastery there, which still stands today, though in very poor condition.”  

At the same time, he notes that the church was ceded by the Ottomans to the Armenians because of the support the Armenians had offered the Ottomans during the fall of Nicosia in 1570. She also mentions that the church received an award for its restoration from Europa Nostra and is used once a year by the Armenian community, which has largely funded the restoration of Panagia of Tyros.  

At the same time, Ms. Marangou notes that the Armenian community in Famagusta had three churches, pointing out that the Church of Panagia of Kantsvor or Kalousa still stands, which was built in the 14th century by Armenian refugees from Cilicia who came to Cyprus to escape the Mamluk attacks. As he says, this particular church “is literally a masterpiece,” adorned with frescoes and officially granted to the Armenian community by the British colonial government.  

The Religious Monuments of the Maronites 

Referring to the history of the Maronite community in Cyprus, Anna Marangou explains to CNA that it descends from the Mardaeans, whom the Byzantine Emperor Justinian relocated from Lebanon to Attalia. During the Arab raids, which lasted from the 7th to the 10th century A.D., several Mardaites moved to Cyprus to reinforce the island’s defenses against Arab attacks, he notes, adding that this marked the beginning of the Maronite presence in the Kormakiti area and on the southern outskirts of Pentadaktylos. 

One of the most important Maronite religious monuments in the occupied territories is the Monastery of the Prophet Elijah in Agia Marina of Skyloura, which dates back to the 16th century, notes Ms. Marangou, adding that it was built in stages and expanded over time, serving as a beacon of Maronite religion and culture for nearly two centuries. Today, the monastery is “unfortunately in very poor condition,” she notes, emphasizing, however, that “it is worth the effort” to preserve it. 

As for Kormakiti, he notes that it is home to the grand Church of St. George, which was built in the 20th century and took nearly 33 years to construct, with Maltese craftsmen also participating in the construction, resulting in a design somewhat reminiscent of the famous St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta. She also notes that this church was built on the site of a pre-existing church, which was also dedicated to St. George and had been built next to a small convent. 

At the same time, Ms. Maragkou says that near the church of St. George are the ruins of the church of St. Theodore, which likely dates back to the 13th–14th centuries, adding that on Kormakiti Beach stands the church of Saint George of the Seed, who is celebrated at the beginning of the sowing season.  

He also mentions the church of Saint Anne in Famagusta, which had been given to the Maronites and where a service was held after the roadblocks were lifted. 

Latin Religious Monuments 

Referring to the Latin religious monuments, Anna Marangou points out that the Church of the Holy Cross, located near the Paphos Gate, was built on top of an earlier 16th-century church.  

Speaking about cases where churches have been built on top of older ones, Anna Marangou explains to CNA that “when a church is destroyed or when the population of a particular (religious) denomination grows and requires a larger church, the decision is made to build (a new church) on top of the older one to inherit the sanctity of the old church.” 

At the same time, he notes the Gothic churches of Hagia Sophia in Nicosia and Agios Nikolaos in Famagusta, which were converted into mosques by the Ottomans who conquered Cyprus in 1570–1571, expressing the belief that “they should have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites”. At the same time, he argues that Hagia Sophia is “one of the most important monuments in the Eastern Mediterranean,” adding that “it has undergone remarkable restoration work by Turkey in recent years.”  

Furthermore, Ms. Marangou told CNA that there are references to the churches built in Famagusta by the Franks and Latins who conquered Cyprus after losing Jerusalem. As she explains, there were churches in the city belonging to various Christian orders (Nestorians, Jacobites, Carmelites), describing them as temples of “astonishing artistry” and noting that a large portion of them has survived.  

Referring to the Nestorian church of Saints Peter and Paul in Famagusta, she describes it as “a premier monument of the 14th century,” noting that the Church of Our Lady of the Carmelites, also in Famagusta, “is an example of how the Orthodox and Latin Churches coexist.”  

He also emphasizes that medieval Famagusta “is an example of multiculturalism comprising Orthodox residents, the Franks, Armenians, Maronites, and all those who came from Syria and Lesser Armenia (Cilicia) as refugees.” “Famagusta may not have 365 churches (Editor’s note: according to tradition), but we certainly count 30 very significant churches in the medieval city of Famagusta,” he notes, adding that the medieval cities of Nicosia and Famagusta “should be UNESCO World Heritage Sites.”  

Source: CNA