Must-see
Monastery of Apostolos Andreas
One of the main pilgrimage sites of Cyprus, by the northeastern cape
The story
The monastery stands right by the sea on the Karpasia peninsula, a few kilometers from Cape Apostolos Andreas, the northeastern tip of Cyprus. According to tradition, the ship of the Apostle Andrew put in here, and the apostle found a spring by the shore; its water is held to be holy. The oldest of the present churches is a small Gothic one from the 15th century. The large church was built on the initiative of the priest Ioannis and consecrated in 1867. This is the north of the island, which the Republic of Cyprus has not controlled since 1974. After the crossing points opened in 2003, pilgrims began coming here in large numbers again. Since the 2010s the monastery has been restored in stages. According to the United Nations Development Programme, the money came from the Church of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot Evkaf foundations administration.
The Monastery of Apostolos Andreas is on the Karpasia peninsula, in the part of the island that the Republic of Cyprus has not controlled since 1974; official texts call these the “occupied areas”. It is one of the main places of pilgrimage. Cape Apostolos Andreas is the northeastern tip of Cyprus.
Visiting
This is the north: show your passport at the crossing point; EU citizens just need an ID card. Your own car needs separate insurance for the north, sold at the crossing points; rental cars often may not be taken there, so check your contract. It is a long drive, so allow a whole day. The monastery’s main feasts are 15 August and 30 November, the feast day of the Apostle Andrew; on these days there are especially many pilgrims.
Photos
Sources
- Κ. Κοκκινόφτας (Κέντρο Μελετών Ιεράς Μονής Κύκκου), «Ο π. Ιωάννης Νικόλα Διάκου και η επανίδρυση της Μονής του Αποστόλου Ανδρέα στα νεότερα χρόνια» — Εκκλησία της Κύπρου
- Apostolos Andreas Monastery — EpHEMERA (The Cyprus Institute and Department of Antiquities of Cyprus)
- UNDP Cyprus — Restoration of the Monastery of Apostolos Andreas
- Υπουργείο Παιδείας, Αθλητισμού και Νεολαίας, Υπηρεσία Εξετάσεων — Εξεταστέα ύλη: Επαρκής γνώση βασικών στοιχείων της πραγματικότητας της Κύπρου
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