RELIGIOUS ROUTE
The beautiful valley of Solea, known as the "valley of mills (watermills)" is located along the main Nicosia-Troodos Road and includes the picturesque mountain villages of Evrycho, Kakopetria and Galata, as well as other popular resorts that have preserved the traditional architecture. Other smaller villages in that area that are worth visiting are Flasou, Korakou and Spilia.
The area of Solea is famous for its Byzantine Churches, which are included in the “UNESCO World Heritage List”. Church of Agios Nikolaos tis stegis, located in about 4 kilometers from Kakopetria, the church of Panagia Podithos located in Galata and Panagia of Asinou, located outside the village of Nikitari, which contains some of the most important Byzantine frescoes that anyone can find in Cyprus.
The monuments that have been included in the “UNESCO World Heritage List” and can be found in the Troodos region are the following 9 Byzantine churches:
- Church of Panagia Forviotissa / Panagia Asinou, Nikitari
- Church of Agios Nikolaos tis stegis, Kakopetria
- Panagia tou Araka, Lagoudera
- Monastery of Agios Ioannis Lampadistes, Kalopanagiotis
- Church of Panagia, Moutoullas
- Church of the Holy Cross, Pelentri
- Church of the Archangel Michael, Pedoulas
- Church of the Holy Cross of Agiasmati, Platanistasa
- Church of Panagia Podithou, Galata
The inclusion of so many Cypriot monuments in the list of World Heritage List declares an honorary distinction for a small country like Cyprus. What is worth mentioning is that these monuments represent different phases of the island’s history and reveal the width and diversity of the Cypriot Cultural heritage.
1st Station: Church of Panagia Forviotissa or Assinou, Nikitari
Distance: 53,3 klm
Duration: 1 hour
Church of Panagia Forviotissa or Assinoy, Nikitari, Source: Visit Cyprus
The church of Panagia Forviotissa (or Assinou) at Nikitari was constructed at 1099 and it is the only remnant of the Forvion Monastery.
It is located on the east bank of a stream, 3km from the mountainous village of Nikitari. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains some of the finest Byzantine wall paintings on the island, dating from the 12th to the 17th century.
The internal of the church of Panagia Asinou consist of many wall paintings and they are preserved throughout various historical periods, from the 12th century to the 17th century. The oldest murals inside the church expresses the latest tendencies of painting at Komnenian period. These murals reflect the art of Constantinople, which is thought to be the artist's birthplace.
Information:
Contact Information: Fr. Kyriakos Christofi
Phone number: +357 99830329
Operating Hours: Monday - Saturday: 09:00 - 16:00
Sunday and Public Holidays: 11:00 - 16:00
Entrance Fee: Free
Disabled Access: Wheelchair accessible.
Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting.
2nd Station: Monastery of Agios Ioannis Lampadistes, Kalopanagiotis
Distance: 34,1 klm
Duration: 40 min
Monastery of Agios Ioannis Lampadistes, Kalopanayiotis. Source: Visit Cyprus
The Byzantine Monastery of Agios Ioannis Lampadistes is located at Kalopanayiotis village, which belongs to the Troodos region, also in the valley of Marathasa. 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. The three churches date back to the 18th century.
Several Byzantine icons and the ancient wooden templon that dates back in the 13th / 14th century have been preserved throughout the centuries and are worth seeing while visiting those magnificent historical monuments. They are displayed in the monastery museum which can be found near the church.
Information:
Contact Information: Fr. Jacob Kalogirou
Phone number: +35722953460, +35799218298
Byzantine Museum, Tel: +357 22 932 414
Byzantine Church: September - April, daily: 09:00 - 13:00 / 15:00 - 17:00, May - August, daily: 09:00 - 13:00 / 16:00 - 18:00
Byzantine Museum: October - February, Monday - Saturday: 10:00 - 15:30, March - May, Monday - Saturday: 9:30 - 17:00, June - August, Monday - Saturday: 09:30 – 18:00, September, Monday - Saturday: 09:30 - 17:00, Closed on Sunday.
Closed on Public Holidays.
Entrance Fee: Byzantine Church: Free
Byzantine Museum: €1,00
Disabled Access: Entrance ramp.
Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting.
Coffee at Kalopanayiotis
Kalopanayiotis. Source: Visit Cyprus
Kalopanagiotis is located in the Troodos Mountain range, in Marathasa Valley area of Lefkosia (Nicosia) district. It is one of the most beautiful mountainous resorts of the island. Visitors can enjoy several activities there such as thermal baths, walk through the cobbled streets and footpaths that lead to beautiful nature trails and admire the traditional architecture and panoramic view of the valley. It is also ideal for agrotourism since it is located at a peaceful natural landscape.
Other interesting sights include the Venetian bridge and the Kykko watermill. The 16th century bridge was constructed from local stone and until recently served as the only access between the village and the monastery. The watermill has been declared a ‘cultural heritage monument’ by the Cyprus Department of Antiquities and is an imposing site, characteristic of the pre-industrial architectural period.
3th Station: Church of Panagia, Moutoullas
Distance: 1,8 klm
Duration: 3 min
Church of Panagia, Moutoullas. Source: Department of Antiquities
The small chapel that dates back in the 13th c. is dedicated to Panagia of Moutoulla, located at the mountain region of Moutoulla. It is one of the earliest examples of its type and belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
The church has a steep-pitched timber roof and frescoes dating to 1280. The narthex was added at a later stage, after the beginning of the 16th century, and extends to the west and north sides of the church. The timber roof also covers the narthex. The wall paintings are the only series of the thirteenth century (1280) that survive in Cyprus and can be dated with precision.
The church was built and decorated through the donations of Ioannis of Moutoullas and his wife Irene, who are both depicted holding a model of the church. It is believed that it may have been a private chapel.
Information:
Phone Number: +35722952677, +357977333480 (Ms. Helen)
Visiting Hours:
Winter Period: Monday – Friday: 07:30 a.m. – 15:00 p.m.
Closed on Saturdays and Sundays
Summer Period: Monday – Friday: 08:00 a.m. – 15:00 p.m.
Saturday – Sunday: 09:00 a.m. 15:00 p.m.
Entrance Fee: Free
Disabled Access: Wheelchair accessible.
Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting.
4th Station: Church of the Archangel Michael, Pedoulas
Distance: 4,6 klm
Duration: 8 min
Church of the Archangel Michael, Pedoulas. Source: Visit Cyprus
About 4,5 klm from Moutoulas, the visitors should stop at the picturesque village of Pedoulas, where it is truly worth visiting the Church of the Archangel Michael, which dates back to the 18th century, and it known for its interesting architectural structure.
The church has a usual sloping mountain roof and is single-aisle. A wooden templon and some unique icons of the same period has remained intact, and serve as an excellent example of its kind.
At the courtyard you may sit and relax on the wooden benches, while admiring the view of the village in between the fragrant basils, which are planted around the church.
Information:
Phone Number: +35799112352
Visiting Hours: Daily: 09:00 a.m. – 18:00 p.m.
Period of Operation: Throughout the year. Closed on public holidays.
Entrance fee: Free
Disabled Access: Wheelchair accessible
Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting.
5th Station: Church of Agios Nikolaos tis stegis, Kakopetria
Distance: 16,8 klm
Duration: 30 min
Church of Agios Nikolaos tis stegis, Kakopetria. Source: Visit Cyprus
Continuing towards the direction of Kakopetria, 16,8 klm from Pedoulas, located in the Solea Valley there is the church of Saint Nicholas of Stegi, also included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
The domed cross-in-square church once belonged to a monastery complex and derives its name from its pitched timber roof that was built to protect it from the weather. It is the only surviving monastery church of its kind on the island and is covered entirely in wall paintings from the 11th to the 17th centuries, with the most important surviving set on the island from this period. As such, it is considered one of the most interesting Byzantine churches in Cyprus.
The church itself dates back to the 11th century, whilst the monastery dates back to the end of the 13th or the beginning of the 14th century and flourished from the Middle Byzantine period up to the period of Frankish rule. It declined during the 18th century and ceased to function as a monastery by the end of the 19th century.
Information:
Phone Number: +35722922583
Visiting Hours: Tues. – Sat.: 09:00 a.m. 16:00 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. – 16:00 p.m. Closed on Mondays
Period of Operation: Throughout the Year. Closed on Public Holidays.
Entrance Fee: Free
Disabled Access: Wheelchair accessible
Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting.
Kakopetria village for lunch
Distance: 2,7 klm
Duration: 7 min
Kakopetria. Source: Visit Cyprus
Kakopetria is located in the Troodos Mountain range, in Solea Valley. Its traditional architecture is the rare sample of “folk architecture”. The part of the old Kakopetria neighborhood, with the narrow and spiral streets, has been declared as a place of protected cultural heritance.
The houses are built in a row side by side and almost all have 2 floors. An exceptional characteristic is the type of roof made by wooden beams, reeds, and roof tiles. Each house has a wooden balcony which multiplies the picturesque scenery.
This beautiful village is a popular summer resort, thanks to its charming character and breathtaking scenery of pine forests that stretch across the Karkotis Valley. As such, it is ideal for agrotourism.
Visitors can relax and enjoy a very tasteful meal at some of the traditional restaurants in the area.
6th station: Church of Panagia Podithou, Galata
Distance: 1,1 klm
Duration: 3 min
Church of Panagia Podithou, Galata. Source: Visit Cyprus
The last station of this route is the church of Panagia Podithou, located in the village of Galata, also included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
The monastery functioned until the beginning of the 19th century but it fell in decay and was left in ruins permanently after 1821. The building is single-aisled with a steep-pitched timber roof. A later portico surrounds the three sides of the church, with the roof sheltering both the church and portico. The mural paintings are of the Italo-Byzantine style that appeared on the island towards the end of the 15th century.
Galata is known as the “village of the balconies” due to the numerous houses with balconies. All houses were built around 1900.
The balconies of Galata, especially during the summer months, were a common place that families used to gather. There they enjoyed the breezy air coming from the Klarios river and the people passing by on central road.
Information:
Phone Number: +35799671776
Visiting Hours: Necessary prior call to visit the church
Functioning Period: Throughout the year, closed on Public Holidays
Entrance Fee: Free
Disabled Access: Entrance ramp, disabled toilets.
Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting.
Return to Nicosia
Distance: 61,5 klm
Duration: 1 hour 2 min