Must-seeUNESCO
Panagia tou Araka Church
One of the ten painted churches of Troodos on the UNESCO list
The story
Panagia tou Araka is a single-aisled church with a dome in the Troodos Mountains, in the Pitsilia area, between the villages of Lagoudera and Saranti. It was once the main church of a monastery of the same name. According to the inscription above the north entrance, the main paintings were made with donations from Leon Authentes in December 1192. The frescoes are in the late Komnenian style, that is, in the manner of Byzantine painting of the late twelfth century. They are considered the most complete cycle of Middle Byzantine frescoes in Cyprus. Probably in the fourteenth century, the church was covered with a steep wooden roof with flat tiles. In 1985 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Panagia tou Araka in Lagoudera is one of the ten painted churches of Troodos on the UNESCO list; an inscription dates its paintings to 1192. The official guide of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism names it among the most remarkable, together with Panagia Forviotissa (Asinou) and Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis.
Visiting
According to the Department of Antiquities, entry is free and there are no fixed opening hours: if the church is closed, ask the priest who lives nearby. This is a working church. Check how to visit before you go.
Photos
Sources
- Department of Antiquities, Cyprus — Church of Panagia (Our Lady) tou Arakos, Lagoudera (UNESCO monuments)
- Department of Antiquities, Cyprus — Church of Panagia tou Arakos, Lagoudera (monuments open to the public)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Painted Churches in the Troodos Region
- Deputy Ministry of Tourism — official Guide to Cyprus 2026 (Greek)
This text was written by AI from open sources. An expert will still check it. Found a mistake? Write to us. Support
