Tourist Attractions > Europe > Cyprus > Kykkos Monastery (Panagia tou Kykkou)


Kykkos Monastery (Panagia tou Kykkou)

Description
Kykkos Monastery is the largest and most famous monastery in Cyprus. Founded in AD 1100 by the Byzantine emperor Alexios Komnenos, the monastery is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is home to one of the three surviving icons painted by the Apostle Luke. Kykkos Monastery is ornately decorated and covered in a silver gilt, enclosed in a tortoiseshell shrine. It is also famous for its museum, located within the monastery grounds, which houses an impressive collection of icons, woodcarvings and manuscripts, and other Cypriot antiquities. The nearby Troodos Mountains, with magnificent hills and valleys, should also be explored as they are home to nine Byzantine churches, included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and richly decorated with murals and Byzantine paintings.

Transportation
Air: Paphos International Airport. Road: Car: Road to Pedoulas which leads to Kykkos (from Troodos); road north towards Platres, past Pedoulas to Kykkos (from Limassol); towards Limassol, then northeast past Kedares to Platres (from Paphos). The monastery is well-signposted.

Contact Addresses
Kykkos Monastery, PO Box 24850, 1304 Nicosia, Cyprus
Tel: (02) 942 736 (museum) or 590 768 (office)
Website: www.kykkos-museum.cy.net


Cyprus - Map
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