Panagia Phaneromeni Church

Situated in Onasagoras Street this fine Orthodox Church will draw your attention. It was rebuild on ancient remains (1300 AD) at the end of the 19th century (1872/73). In 1938 a new bell tower was added and its bells were brought from England in 1940/41.

The church was named after a nunnery of the same name, which once stood on this spot. It belonged to Panayia (Virgin Mary) Phanoromeni and the nuns were silk weavers who were engaged in charitable works.

After the ottoman occupation of Cyprus in 1571, the turks attempted to turn the church into a mosque. They were unsuccessful. What today characterises the Panagia Phaneromeni Church is its interior. The iconostasis dates from 1659 and is adorned with old icons bearing rich illustrations. The ancient icon of the Holy Virgin, after which the church is named, is kept at the Byzantine Museum og the Archbishop Makarios Cultural Centre in Nicosia. A copy of this magnificent icon was painted bz the well-known Cypriot painter Adamantios Diamantis in 1924. The icon is covered in silver with a goldplated cover made in 1851.