Description of the attraction
The monastery of St. Macarius, or as it is also called Surup Magar, located near the city of Kyrenia (Girne), was built in the era of the Byzantine Empire by Coptic (Christian) monks who arrived from Egypt, in honor of the Alexandrian martyr Makarios. The temple was erected on the edge of a picturesque cliff right above a deep gorge.
In the XIV-XV centuries, during the reign of King John III (Janus), there was a discord in relations between Cyprus and Egypt, so the monastery was transferred to the subordination of the Armenian Church. After that, it was mainly used as a summer residence for monks and a resting place for pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land. However, the new owners began to slowly sell off the lands belonging to Surup Magar, as a result of which the monastery eventually fell into decay. The temple was not saved from ruin by the fact that, as gratitude for their help in the war with the Venetians, the Ottomans, who seized power on the island, freed the Armenian Church from paying taxes.
In 1814, the monastery was almost completely destroyed by a strong earthquake. It has been completely restored, but only part of the wall on the east side remains of the original building, which stands out strongly thanks to the tall Gothic windows. During the civil war, the monastery of St. Macarius underwent significant destruction, almost nothing remained of it. Although on some walls there are still drawings and inscriptions in Armenian. Now the island's authorities are making significant efforts to restore it, trying to make it a popular cultural center.
