Description of the attraction
The Convent of Saint Heraclius (Heraclidia) is located in the southeastern part of the small village of Politiko, which is located near the ancient city of Tomassos, Nicosia district. The monastery was created in honor of Saint Heraclius, who lived at the turn of the 1st-2nd centuries. Heraclius was considered a disciple of the apostles Peter, Barnabas and Mark, who made him the first bishop of Tomassos.
Saint Heraclius played a really significant role in the spread and popularization of Christianity in Cyprus, therefore he is especially revered by the locals.
The monastery was created on the site of an ancient cave temple, where the saint is believed to have lived, and after his martyrdom he was buried. Since then, the monastery was destroyed and rebuilt a huge number of times, until in 1773 the then Archbishop Chrysanthos began to restore it. However, after some time the monastery was abandoned. But in 1962, on the initiative of Archbishop Makarios, known for his active work, it was restored, and a community of nuns was housed there. Now the inhabitants of the monastery, of whom there are about fifty, are engaged in the production of honey and the manufacture of sweets for sale.
This monastery is especially famous for its beautiful Byzantine frescoes. In addition, the monastery contains the relics of St. Heraclius, as well as the head of the Apostle Barnabas, the founder of the Church of Cyprus, who was stoned to death. His remains are in a gilded silver sarcophagus. The cave where Saint Heraclius lived and prayed, which is also open for visits, has also been preserved.
