The cache is accessible when the church is closed. Please use discretion when retrieving/hiding. Please see the parking waypoint for directions to/from the cache as the village can be tricky with a car. Please observe the 1 way system, and go careful with the tight roads!
Agios Ioannis Lampadistis Monastery
Originally a monastery, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a complex of three churches - Ioannis Lampadistis, Agios Irakleidios and a Latin chapel - all under a single, enormous timber roof.
Located in the Troodos valley of Marathasa (just off the village of Kalopanagiotis), the precise date of the monastery’s foundation is not known, and the building complex that survives today has undergone extensive reconstruction and restoration at different periods.
Today's (2018) the complex of Monastery buildings is the result of many building interventions made at different times. More specifically, the catholicon dedicated to Saint Heraclion dates back to the 11th century. The southernmost building of the complex, belongs to the type of cruciform temple with the dome and dates back to the 11th century. In the 12th century, on the north side of the church, above the tomb of St. John the Lampadistis, was added a barracked homonymous chapel which collapsed and rebuilt in the 18th century.
On the northern side of this chapel, in the 15th century, the so-called "Latin" chapel was added, presumably it was built for the worship of the Latins. Finally, it remains unknown that the huge wooden roof that has covered the whole complex has ever been placed. This addition took place in the 15th and 18th centuries.
The true gems of this church however are the frescos, which are truly amazing, some of which have survived since the 11th century, and are still as glorious and colourful now as they were then. They are truly a sight to behold and people visit from all over Cyprus to view them. The frescoes that survive in the arch of the Sanctuary of Saint Heraclion date back to the 11th and 12th centuries. The rest of the temple is decorated with frescoes dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries.
Entry to the church is free, please be aware that you cannot take photos. There is also an Icon Museum housed nearby, which displays original icons dating back to the 11th century from all nearby churches. There is a suggested donation of 1 euro for this and is worth a visit.
The cache is accessible even when the church is closed. Please use discretion when retrieving/hiding. Please see the parking waypoint for directions to/from the cache as the village can be tricky with a car. Please observe the 1 way system, and go careful with the tight roads!