Description of the attraction
The walled city of Famagusta has long been not only one of the most popular tourist destinations in Cyprus, but also the cultural center of the Armenians living on this island. Therefore, it is not surprising that it is there, very close to the city itself, right opposite the Carmelite church, that the ancient Armenian monastery Ganchvor is located. It was built back in 1346 by refugees from the territory of Cilicia.
In addition to its main functions, it was also supposed to traditionally serve as a fortress to protect the inhabitants. Unfortunately, after the conquest of the island by the Turks in 1571, it ceased to function and was gradually abandoned by its inhabitants. And only at the beginning of the last century, the monastery literally received a second life - it was restored and transferred to the possession of the Armenian Apostolic Church. And in 1945 it was consecrated again. However, before the civil war in Cyprus, the building was almost completely destroyed by Turkish Cypriots. And after the end of hostilities in 1974, Ganchvor passed into the hands of the Turkish military and was again closed to the public. Only since 2003 were ordinary people allowed to enter the monastery.
Although today it is not in the best condition, thousands of pilgrims and tourists from almost all over the world come here every year.
The building itself was made in the style standard for Armenian religious buildings - with massive walls, narrow windows, high ceilings and an almost complete absence of decorative details, but at the same time with a noticeable influence of Greek architectural traditions.
