Description of the attraction
Located in the village of Pedoulas, the Church of the Archangel Michael is another cultural monument of Cyprus, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
It is believed that the first temple on this site appeared as early as 1474, but already in 1695, by order of Archbishop Germanos, a completely new church was built in its place. Moreover, it was erected exclusively on donations from believers.
This amazing stone building is completely different from a traditional church. Its main feature is the slanting tiled roof, which, despite the fact that the building has two floors, practically touches the ground on one side. The temple is made in a strict style and is almost completely devoid of any decorations. Inside, the walls, not covered with plaster, are in places decorated with beautiful frescoes of the post-Byzantine period: there are 11 compositions in total, depicting scenes from the lives of saints.
In addition, the church is famous for its unique icons - the Archangel Michael with spread wings, which was painted back in 1634, and St. Spyridon, dating back to 1755. Most of the remaining icons, although they were written already in the 19th century, also have considerable historical and cultural value. The temple also contains the Gospel, which was printed back in 1768. The book is decorated with graceful images of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary.
The graceful gilded iconostasis of 1650 and the rich icon frames contrast sharply with the austerity of the building itself.
The Church of the Archangel Michael is still active and is open to guests and pilgrims all year round.
