Description of the attraction
The very small church of Ashinu is located in the eastern part of the Troodos mountains, not far from the village of Nikitari. This temple got its name thanks to the village of the same name, which was once founded practically on this place by Greek settlers back in the 11th century BC. e., although officially the church bears the name of Panagia Forviotissa.
The temple was erected back in 1056 by Nicephorus, the husband of the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Alexei I Komnenos. Literally a few decades later, the church became the cathedral church of the large Forvian monastery, which over time, however, fell into decay.
Ashinu is a stone structure with a tiled roof without a dome, made in the Byzantine style.
First of all, this church is famous for its bright frescoes of the XII-XVI centuries, which have been perfectly preserved to this day. It is assumed that all of them were made by Slavic craftsmen. The central part of the mural depicts scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, as well as the Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena Equal to the Apostles. In the apse the Virgin Mary is depicted, in the vestibule - Saint George on horseback. Also there you can see scenes of the resurrection of Lazarus, communion of Mary and the apostles, etc. The most ancient frescoes are located on the western and eastern walls of the temple.
Thanks to this unique painting, Ashinu Church was included in the UNESCO list of cultural heritage. In the middle of the 20th century, a large-scale reconstruction of the wall paintings of the temple was carried out by the joint efforts of the Cypriot authorities and Harvard University.
Ashinu Church is very popular among pilgrims, ordinary tourists and lovers of antiquity. Despite its tiny size, it is one of the most famous monuments of Byzantine art in the world.
