Kykkos Monastery

The Monastery of Kykkos is dedicated to Panagia (the Virgin Mary) and contains one of the three icons attributed to Agios Loukas the Apostle and Evangelist. The monastery is the richest and most lavishly adorned Monasteries in Cyprus and tourists visit it by the bus load. It is located in the Marathasa region on a mountain peak at an altitude of 4,320 feet. The icon itself is covered in silver gilt and lies in a shrine made of mother-of-pearl and tortoise shell that stands in front of the iconostasis (the line of icons in a long decorated wall of wood separating the sanctuary from the rest of the church). The Monastery was founded between 11th-12th century A.D. during the reign of the Emperor Alexios Komnenos I (1081-1118 A.D.).

The museum forms a fundamental part of the Holy Stavropegic Monastery of Kykkos, which is situated in the mountainous region of Kykkos - a densely forested area. It was founded towards the end of the 11th century by the byzantine emperor Alexios Komnenos I. The Holy icon of the Virgin Mary that was hand-painted by the Apostle Luke himself is kept in the nave of the Monastery. The Museum exhibits contain priceless ecclesiastical artifacts such as century-old icons, woodcarvings, manuscripts, vestments, and embroideries which typify the history of the monastery and Cyprus churches in general.