Discover the island of Saints

C h o o s e t h e G o l d e n B ay a s a l u x u r i o u s b a s e a n d e n j o y
exploring the island’s religious treasures and monasteries
Discover the island of Saints
Agios Neophytos Monastery
Machairas Monastery
Agios Iraklidios Convent
Stavrovouni Monastery
Panagia Asinou Church
Panagia tou Araka Church
L
ocated in the heart of Larnaka stands the Golden Bay, Larnaka’s prime and only 5-star
resort hotel. Overlooking an endless sandy beach, its guest rooms and suites capture
Mediterranean luxury. Leisure facilities, dining options and a fitness and beauty centre
make every day special, and there is no better way to explore and discover the revered religious roots of the island.
Golden Bay Beach Hotel, P.O. Box 40741, Larnaka 6306, Cyprus
Tel: +357 2464 5444 | Fax: +357 2464 5451 | E-mail: gbadmin@goldenbay.com.cy www.goldenbay.com.cy
a l l e a s i ly a cc e s s i b l e f r o m t h e G o l d e n B a y
Become a pilgrim in Cyprus, where your
prayers will be answered in ancient churches
and holy monasteries.
Whilst the island’s main religion is the Greek Orthodox faith, evidence
of Christianity’s entire historical and cultural development through the
ages can be felt through the large number of religious monuments.
Larnaka – the Heart
of Religion
Kykkos – An Island Shrine
The Troodes mountains are home to the 11th century Kykkos
Larnaka’s centrally convenient location
makes it the perfect starting point for
any island journey and it is a religious
trove with many significant monuments
such as Agios Lazaros Church,
Angeloktisti Church and Stavrovouni
Monastery - which was founded by the
mother of Agios Constantine the Great,
Agia Eleni, who left a fragment of the
Holy Cross at the monastery.
monastery built by the Byzantine Emperor Alexios Komnenos.
It houses one of the three holiest icons of the Virgin Mary, hand
painted by the Apostle Luke himself. The revered icon is hidden from
direct view and rarely uncovered. It is regarded as the island’s protector
against invaders and disasters, with many miracles attributed to it.
Kykkos monastery is open for prayer 365 days a year.
Монастырь Киккос
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Cyprus has no less than 10 Byzantine monuments
included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list,
all of which are located in the Troodos region, which is
only 45 minutes away from Larnaka. Dating from the
11th to the 17th centuries, the monuments range from
small churches to large monasteries and each is unique
whether it’s for its richly decorated murals, architectural
style or highly refined decoration.
The region is characterized by an exceptionally large
number of churches and monasteries of the former
Byzantine Empire, and it is the significant historical
and artistic value that earns them a place on the
UNESCO list. An organized route of the monuments
– entitled ‘The Cypriot Monuments of UNESCO
Religious Route’ - divides them into three regions.
Some of the more impressive monuments are those
of Agios Ioannis Lampadistis, Agios Nikolaos tis
Stegis, Panagia Asinou, Panagia tou Araka, Stavros tou
Agiasmati and Timios Stavros.
Agios Lazaros Church
Saint Lazaros Church is the island’s most
important surviving Byzantine monument.
Agios Ioannis Lampadistis
Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis
Stavros tou Agiasmati
Machairas Monastery
Panagia Angeloktisti Church
Angeloktisti Church is an 11th century
Byzantine church whose name means
‘built by angels’.
The icon of the Virgin Mother of Machairas monastery, build in the 12th
century, is one of the second group of 70 icons of the Mother of God,
painted by the Apostle Luke. The name of the monastery derives from
‘machairi’ (blade) which the monks used to clear the wild vegetation that
obstructed the entrance of the cave where the icon was kept safe from the
iconoclasts of Byzantine for 300 years. The monks who found it were led
to the cave by a vision. Open daily from 08:30 - 17:30.
Machairas Monastery
A Stepping Stone to the Holy Land
Your devotional journey doesn’t have to end in Cyprus as the island is also
ideally situated for a visit to the Holy Land, either by cruise or by air.
Mini cruises offer one-day trips, whilst a flight takes just under an hour.
Attractions you can visit include religiously significant sites such as Mount
Zion, Bethlehem birthplace of Jesus, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and
Jerusalem
Garden of Gethsemane
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
the Holy Cross Monastery.