Must-seeUNESCO
Panagia tou Moutoulla Church
One of the ten painted churches of Troodos on the UNESCO list
The story
This small single-room church of the Virgin stands on a hill above the village of Moutoullas in the Marathasa Valley, in the Troodos Mountains. According to the donor inscription on the north wall of the sanctuary, it was built and painted in 1280, paid for by Ioannis of Moutoullas and his wife Irini. Both are shown holding a model of the church. The steep wooden roof is typical of the mountain churches of Troodos. The narthex, an annex at the entrance, was added later, no earlier than the sixteenth century. According to the Department of Antiquities, these are the only thirteenth-century wall paintings in Cyprus that can be dated precisely. They combine the Byzantine manner with features of Western art from the time of Latin rule. In 1985 the church was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
One of the ten “Painted Churches in the Troodos Region” on the UNESCO World Heritage List (inscribed in 1985), in the village of Moutoullas in the Marathasa Valley, Nicosia District. Worth remembering: its paintings are dated by an inscription to 1280.
Visiting
Admission is free. According to the Department of Antiquities, ask for the caretaker with the key at the village coffee shop; the Moutoullas community council phone is 22 952677. Check opening hours in advance.
Photos
Sources
- Department of Antiquities of Cyprus — Church of Panagia (Our Lady) tou Moutoulla
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Painted Churches in the Troodos Region (351)
- Department of Antiquities of Cyprus — UNESCO World Heritage monuments in Cyprus
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