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Monastery · Ancient Monument

Church of Acheiropoietos

Karavas, Kyrenia District · In the area occupied by Turkey since 1974

Church of Acheiropoietos: a monastery in Karavas, Kyrenia District, in the area occupied by Turkey since 1974. Protected by Order in Council in 1937. 1 dated record of work on it, 1953, with sources.

LapithosKyrenia

Kyrenia District, about 35°21′ N, 33°14′ E

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The pin marks the village of Karavas, not the building. Approximate location. Open in the map →

Protection

Antiquities Law
  1. 18 December 1936

    Proposed for declaration

    “Church and Monastery of Panayia Akhiroputos”

    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, Kyrenia

    “Church and Monastery of Panayia Akhiropiitou”

    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, Kyrenia, p. 143 Online

What was done when

1 record
  1. 1953

    Monastery by the sea photographed by Seferis in 1953, with Durrell, Diamantis and others pictured.

    Study

    As printed

    “Akhiropiitos, the monastery by the sea.”

    Anon., "Cyprus: Remembrance and Love through the Camera of George Seferis", Cyprus Today vol. 29, no. 1 (January–March 1991), pp. 35–36, p. 35.

In the literature

5
  1. Undated

    Church and monastery at Lampousa; tradition says it was not built by human hand.

    As printed

    “Some fine traditions also survive about the monastery of Our Lady of Acheropoiitou at Lampousa”

    Theophano D. Kypri, "Popular Traditions of Kerynia", Cyprus Today vol. 47, no. 1 (January–March 2009), pp. 30–39, p. 38.

  2. Undated

    Contains a 16th century wood engraved iconostasis with deep gold-plated relief.

    As printed

    “The 16th century wood engraved iconostasis in the byzantine temple of Akheiropiitos, with the deep gold-plated relief13”

    Eleni Papademetriou, "Folk Art and Handicraft in the Towns of Lapithos and Karavas", Cyprus Today vol. 27, no. 2-3 (April–September 1989), pp. 18–22, p. 21.

  3. Undated

    Main portico of Government House taken from this monastery.

    As printed

    “the main portico is taken from the monastery of Akheropiitou, near Lapithos”

    Anon., "Monuments and Memories: Government House", Cyprus Today vol. 42 (September–December 2004), pp. 83–91, p. 89.

  4. Undated

    Named among churches whose photographs document destruction at Karavas.

    As printed

    “Churches of Achiropiitou at Karavas”

    Ernst Hammerschmidt, "History is being uprooted from its foundations in the occupied areas", Cyprus Today vol. 25, no. 1 (January–March 1987), pp. 11–14, p. 11.

  5. Undated

    Near Lapithos on the coast; flourished in Byzantine days and suffered destruction during Arab raids.

    As printed

    “Lambousa and the monastery of Acheiropeitos which flourished in the days of the Byzantines and suffered untold destruction during the Arab raids.”

    Anon., "Kyrenia Attractions", Cyprus Today vol. 1, no. 2 (March–April 1963), pp. 6–7, p. 7.

Pictures

2
Cyprus University of Technology1 photograph1936
  • Cyprus University of Technology, Apsida (Cyprus University of Technology), creator Union of Occupied Municipalities; Επιτροπή Κατεχομένων Δήμων: «The church of Acheiropoietos», 1936, via Europeana Online
Pitt Rivers Museum1 photograph1913
  • Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford, photograph 2004.135.1.3, «Landscape view with Acheiropoietos Monastery to the left and Lapithos in the background. Mountains in the distance.», photograph by Leonard Halford Dudley Buxton, Circa 1913, 1913~ Online

Sources

  1. 1.Cyprus University of Technology, Apsida (Cyprus University of Technology), creator Union of Occupied Municipalities; Επιτροπή Κατεχομένων Δήμων: «The church of Acheiropoietos», 1936, via Europeana Online
  2. 2.Cyprus University of Technology, Apsida (Cyprus University of Technology), creator Union of Occupied Municipalities; Επιτροπή Κατεχομένων Δήμων: «Early Christian, Byzantine church of Panagia Acheiropoiitous», via Europeana Online
  3. 3.The Cyprus Gazette of 18 December 1936, p. S26, PDF p. 740 Online
  4. 4.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, Kyrenia, p. 143 Online
  5. 5.Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford, photograph 2004.135.1.3, «Landscape view with Acheiropoietos Monastery to the left and Lapithos in the background. Mountains in the distance.», photograph by Leonard Halford Dudley Buxton, Circa 1913 Online
  6. 6.Centre of Visual Arts and Research (CVAR), Costas and Rita Severis Foundation, Nicosia, online catalogue: pht_01017, “Akhiropiitos Monastery, Kyrenia”, ca. 1930, ; pht_01591, “Agios Evlalios chapel in Lapithos”, ca. 1950- 1952, https://cvar.severis.org/en/collections/item/agios-evlalios-chapel-in-lapithos-2/2459/; pht_01594, “The monastery of Akheiropietos”, ca. 1950- 1952, https://cvar.severis.org/en/collections/item/the-monastery-of-akheiropietos-2/2462/; and 16 more records Online
  7. 7.Anon., "Kyrenia Attractions", Cyprus Today vol. 1, no. 2 (March–April 1963), pp. 6–7, p. 7.
  8. 8.Ernst Hammerschmidt, "History is being uprooted from its foundations in the occupied areas", Cyprus Today vol. 25, no. 1 (January–March 1987), pp. 11–14, p. 11.
  9. 9.Eleni Papademetriou, "Folk Art and Handicraft in the Towns of Lapithos and Karavas", Cyprus Today vol. 27, no. 2-3 (April–September 1989), pp. 18–22, p. 21.
  10. 10.Anon., "Cyprus: Remembrance and Love through the Camera of George Seferis", Cyprus Today vol. 29, no. 1 (January–March 1991), pp. 35–36, p. 35.
  11. 11.Anon., "Monuments and Memories: Government House", Cyprus Today vol. 42 (September–December 2004), pp. 83–91, p. 89.
  12. 12.Theophano D. Kypri, "Popular Traditions of Kerynia", Cyprus Today vol. 47, no. 1 (January–March 2009), pp. 30–39, p. 38.

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