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Monastery · Ancient Monument

Church and Monastery of Apostolos Varnavas

Salamis, Famagusta District · In the area occupied by Turkey since 1974

Church and Monastery of Apostolos Varnavas: a monastery in Salamis, Famagusta District, in the area occupied by Turkey since 1974. Protected by Order in Council in 1937. 2 dated records of work on it, 1948 to 1958, with sources.

EnkomiSalamis

Famagusta District, about 35°10′ N, 33°53′ E

  • Site with its own page
  • Other recorded site
  • Contours every 50 m
On the ancient site of Salamis-Apostolos Varnavas (site A). Approximate location. Open in the map →

Protection

Antiquities Law
  1. 18 December 1936

    Proposed for declaration

    “Church and Monastery of Apostolos Varnavas”

    The Cyprus Gazette of 18 December 1936, p. S26, PDF p. 740 Online

  2. 19 May 1937

    Order under the Antiquities Law, No. 104, Second Schedule, Famagusta item 37

    “Church and Monastery of Apostolus Varnavas”

    Supplement No. 3 to The Cyprus Gazette No. 2587 of 21 May 1937, No. 104, The Antiquities Law, 1935: Order in Council No. 1744 made under section 6 (1) (made 19 May 1937), Second Schedule, Famagusta item 37, p. 142 Online

What was done when

3 records
  1. 1948

    The chapel-shrine of the saint was partly restored by the Department of Antiquities for the Archbishopric.

    Repair and conservation

    As printed

    “St. Barnabas Monastery, where the chapel-shrine of the saint was partly restored by the Department”

    Colonial Office, Annual Report on Cyprus for the Year 1948 (London: HMSO, 1949), p. 43

  2. 1958

    The replacement of masonry taken from the walls of the collapsed eastern end of the church was completed for the Archbishopric.

    Repair and conservation

    As printed

    “The replacement of masonry robbed from the walls of the collapsed eastern end of the church of St. Barnabas Monastery”

    Colonial Office, Cyprus: Report for the Year 1958 (London: HMSO, 1959), p. 89

  3. Undated

    Originally built 5th cent. AD to house body of St. Barnabas; restored early 10th cent. AD; later restorations.

    Repair and conservation

    As printed

    “Church of St. Barnabas. Originally built in the 5th cent. AD. in order to house the body of St. Barnabas. It was restored early in the 10th cent. AD.”

    Anon., "New Stamp Issues", Cyprus Today vol. 5, no. 3-4 (July–December 1967), pp. 10–11, p. 10.

In the literature

7
  1. Undated

    Built 5th-6th century; devastated in 646, renovated in 1674 and 1756.

    As printed

    “67. The church of the Apostle Barnabas near Salamis. Built in the 5th to 6th century. Following its”

    Anon., "Stamps with Themes Taken from the Occupied Area of Cyprus", Cyprus Today vol. 22, no. 2-3 (May–December 1984), pp. 19–26, p. 25.

  2. Undated

    Built by Archbishop Anthemios at end of fifth century near saint's grave, one mile west of ancient Salamis; church existing before seventeenth century, used for worship until 1974; Turkish Cypriot aut

    As printed

    “The monastery, which is situated, about one mile to the west of ancient Salamis, near Famagusta, was built in honour of St. Barnabas”

    Anon., "The Monastery of St. Barnabas to be Turned into a Museum by the Denktash Regime", Cyprus Today vol. 30, no. 1-2 (January–June 1992), pp. 64–65, p. 64.

  3. Undated

    Church near which Turkish soldiers were carrying out an exercise when the author visited.

    As printed

    “When we reached Apostolos Varnavas, I absentmindedly went to get out of the car.”

    Anon., "The Byzantine Architecture of Cyprus", Cyprus Today vol. 51, no. 3 (July–September 2013), pp. 10–13, p. 13.

  4. Undated

    Looted; contains the tomb of the founder of the Cypriot Church.

    As printed

    “le pillage du Monastere de St. Barnabd ou se trouve la tombe du fondateur de I'Eglise chypriote”

    Georges Lycourgos, "Consequences de l'occupation Turque sur le patrimoine culturel de Chypre", Cyprus Today vol. 29, no. 1 (January–March 1991), pp. 11–16, p. 15.

  5. Undated

    Monastery built in the 5th century; tomb of the apostle Varnavas of same period; Byzantine church (10th-12th century) built on ruin of early Christian basilica; most sacred Christian monument of Cypru

    As printed

    “The monastery was built in the 5th century and the tomb of the apostle Varnavas is of the same period.”

    Anon., "Photographs of Cyprus and Council of Europe celebrations", Cyprus Today vol. 27, no. 4 (October–December 1989), pp. 7–8, p. 7.

  6. Undated

    Monastery whose workshop contributed to the icon exhibition; text says it is today under Turkish occupation.

    As printed

    “Agios Varnavas (today under Turkish occupation)”

    Anon., "Painting the Divine icon exhibition", Cyprus Today vol. 52, no. 3 (July–September 2014), pp. 56–58, p. 57.

1 more
  1. Undated

    Three-aisled church with two domes (originally three), built 11th or 12th cent. A.D.; damaged during the Lusignan period.

    As printed

    “Saint Barnabas Church (near Salamis).”

    Anon., "President Makarios Proposals to Amend the Cyprus Constitution", Cyprus Today vol. 1, no. 6 (November–December 1963), pp. 19–21, p. 20.

Pictures

9

In our archive · 6

Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation2 films1964–1972
  • Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (ΡΙΚ), film and video archive, Digital Herodotus item 7637: «CARNIVAL MONASTIC DISPATCHER - PRAISED - SALAMINA - SANDY VILLAGE - TOURISTS - 1964 ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ ΒΑΡΝΑΒΑΣ ΜΟΝΑΣΤΗΡΙ - ΕΓΚΩΜΗ - ΣΑΛΑΜΙΝΑ - ΑΜΜΟΧΩΣΤΟΣ - ΤΟΥΡΙΣΤΕΣ - 1964», 19 January 1964, 00:02:21, 1964-01-19 Online
  • Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (ΡΙΚ), film and video archive, Digital Herodotus item 6809: «ΟΙ ΑΓΙΟΓΡΑΦΟΙ ΤΟΥ ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΥ ΒΑΡΝΑΒΑ - 1972», 8 April 1972, 00:15:46, 1972-04-08 Online
Penn Museum (University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology)1 film1969
  • Penn Museum (University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology), film collection, F16-0391, «1969 #48 Cyprus», Watson Kintner, 1969, 15 min, shot list on the Internet Archive, (no timecodes in the shot list), 1969-06-15 Online

Sources

  1. 1.The Cyprus Gazette of 18 December 1936, p. S26, PDF p. 740 Online
  2. 2.Supplement No. 3 to The Cyprus Gazette No. 2587 of 21 May 1937, No. 104, The Antiquities Law, 1935: Order in Council No. 1744 made under section 6 (1) (made 19 May 1937), Second Schedule, Famagusta item 37, p. 142 Online
  3. 3.Penn Museum (University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology), film collection, F16-0391, «1969 #48 Cyprus», Watson Kintner, 1969, 15 min, shot list on the Internet Archive, (no timecodes in the shot list) Online
  4. 4.Centre of Visual Arts and Research (CVAR), Costas and Rita Severis Foundation, Nicosia, online catalogue: pht_00774, “Church of St. Barnabas”, ca. 1918, ; pht_01771, “Monastery of St. Barnabas”, 20th century, https://cvar.severis.org/en/collections/item/monastery-of-st-barnabas-2/3176/; pht_01775, “Monastery of St. Barnabas”, 20th century, https://cvar.severis.org/en/collections/item/monastery-of-st-barnabas-2/3180/; and 11 more records Online
  5. 5.Centre of Visual Arts and Research (CVAR), Costas and Rita Severis Foundation, Nicosia, online catalogue: pht_TEB_0360, “Monastery of Saint Barnabas”, 1950-1970 Online
  6. 6.Collège de France, Paris, Fonds Claude Schaeffer (34 CDF), 34 CDF art. 168-4, «[Cinq lettres de Dikaios à Schaeffer à propos des fouilles à Enkomi]», 1 May 1949, scan 1 of 20 Online
  7. 7.Collège de France, Paris, Fonds Claude Schaeffer (34 CDF), 34 CDF art. 168-4, «[Cinq lettres de Dikaios à Schaeffer à propos des fouilles à Enkomi]», 1 May 1949, scan 7 of 20 Online
  8. 8.Collège de France, Paris, Fonds Claude Schaeffer (34 CDF), 34 CDF art. 168-4, «[Copie d'une lettre à propos des découvertes en fouilles]», 6 May 1949, scan 1 of 4 Online
  9. 9.Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (ΡΙΚ), film and video archive, Digital Herodotus item 6809: «ΟΙ ΑΓΙΟΓΡΑΦΟΙ ΤΟΥ ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΥ ΒΑΡΝΑΒΑ - 1972», 8 April 1972, 00:15:46 Online
  10. 10.Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (ΡΙΚ), film and video archive, Digital Herodotus item 7637: «CARNIVAL MONASTIC DISPATCHER - PRAISED - SALAMINA - SANDY VILLAGE - TOURISTS - 1964 ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ ΒΑΡΝΑΒΑΣ ΜΟΝΑΣΤΗΡΙ - ΕΓΚΩΜΗ - ΣΑΛΑΜΙΝΑ - ΑΜΜΟΧΩΣΤΟΣ - ΤΟΥΡΙΣΤΕΣ - 1964», 19 January 1964, 00:02:21 Online
  11. 11.Collège de France, Paris, Fonds Claude Schaeffer (34 CDF), 34 CDF art. 136-3, «[Carnet de Fouilles Enkomi 1963]», 1963, scan 62 of 87 Online
  12. 12.Collège de France, Paris, Fonds Claude Schaeffer (34 CDF), 34 CDF art. 134-4, «[XVIIe campagne Enkomi Carnet d'observations de Nicolardot]», 1965, scan 183 of 184 Online
  13. 13.Collège de France, Paris, Fonds Claude Schaeffer (34 CDF), 34 CDF art. 168-4, «[Cinq lettres de Dikaios à Schaeffer à propos des fouilles à Enkomi]», 1 May 1949, scan 13 of 20 Online
  14. 14.Collège de France, Paris, Fonds Claude Schaeffer (34 CDF), 34 CDF art. 168-1, «["Contribution fo Enkomi I, Text, Preliminary Report on the Cyprus Department of Antiquities excavations at Enkomi, The Bronze Statue of a Horned God" annoté et commenté par Schaeffer]», 1949, scan 23 of 438 Online
  15. 15.Collège de France, Paris, Fonds Claude Schaeffer (34 CDF), 34 CDF art. 168-4, «["Observations relatives au site de Salamine"]», 1 October 1946, scan 1 of 6 Online
  16. 16.Max Ohnefalsch-Richter, Kypros, the Bible and Homer: Oriental Civilization, Art and Religion in Ancient Times. Vol. I: Text (1893), p. 480 (scan 498)
  17. 17.A. S. Murray, A. H. Smith and H. B. Walters, Excavations in Cyprus (Bequest of Miss E. T. Turner to the British Museum) (1900), scan p. 6
  18. 18.Athanasios A. Sakellarios, Τὰ Κυπριακά, ἤτοι γεωγραφία, ἱστορία καὶ γλῶσσα τῆς νήσου Κύπρου ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρχαιοτάτων χρόνων μέχρι σήμερον. Τόμος πρῶτος: Γεωγραφία, ἱστορία, δημόσιος καὶ ἰδιωτικὸς βίος (1890), p. 176 (scan 204)
  19. 19.Max Ohnefalsch-Richter, Das Museum und die Ausgrabungen auf Cypern seit 1878 (1886), p. 206 (scan 14)
  20. 20.Agnes Smith, Through Cyprus (1887), p. 109 (scan 125)
  21. 21.Colonial Office, Annual Report on Cyprus for the Year 1948 (London: HMSO, 1949), p. 43
  22. 22.Anon., "President Makarios Proposals to Amend the Cyprus Constitution", Cyprus Today vol. 1, no. 6 (November–December 1963), pp. 19–21, p. 20.
  23. 23.Anon., "New Stamp Issues", Cyprus Today vol. 5, no. 3-4 (July–December 1967), pp. 10–11, p. 10.
  24. 24.Colonial Office, Cyprus: Report for the Year 1958 (London: HMSO, 1959), p. 89
  25. 25.Anon., "Stamps with Themes Taken from the Occupied Area of Cyprus", Cyprus Today vol. 22, no. 2-3 (May–December 1984), pp. 19–26, p. 25.
  26. 26.Anon., "Photographs of Cyprus and Council of Europe celebrations", Cyprus Today vol. 27, no. 4 (October–December 1989), pp. 7–8, p. 7.
  27. 27.Georges Lycourgos, "Consequences de l'occupation Turque sur le patrimoine culturel de Chypre", Cyprus Today vol. 29, no. 1 (January–March 1991), pp. 11–16, p. 15.
  28. 28.Anon., "The Monastery of St. Barnabas to be Turned into a Museum by the Denktash Regime", Cyprus Today vol. 30, no. 1-2 (January–June 1992), pp. 64–65, p. 64.
  29. 29.Anon., "The Byzantine Architecture of Cyprus", Cyprus Today vol. 51, no. 3 (July–September 2013), pp. 10–13, p. 13.
  30. 30.Anon., "Painting the Divine icon exhibition", Cyprus Today vol. 52, no. 3 (July–September 2014), pp. 56–58, p. 57.

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