Description of the attraction
The Antiphonitis Church, which is part of a once very influential and wealthy monastery, is located a few kilometers south of the village of Esentepe near Kyrenia. The word "Antiphonitis" can be roughly translated as "the one who answers", therefore this place is often called "monastery-echo", or "Christ responding".
Legend has it that at this place once upon a time a beggar asked a rich man for a loan. When he asked who could vouch for him, the poor man answered: "Lord." It was at that very moment that they both heard the Voice of God.
It is believed that the history of Antiphonitis began in the 7th century, when a church in honor of the Virgin Mary was built in a secluded place in the mountains among the forest thickets. Later, in about the XII-XIV centuries, a gallery and a narthex, as well as a covered loggia, were added to it.
In the 15th century, Antiphonitis was taken under its patronage by the Lusignan dynasty, which at that time dominated Cyprus, granting the monastery the status of "royal" and helping it financially. And when the Turks took possession of the island, thanks to the fact that one of the descendants of the former rulers managed to redeem this place, the temple was not turned into a mosque.
The dome of the church, which is held by eight columns, is not regular, but slightly oval - it is believed that the reason for this was a mistake by the builders. The altar is symbolically separated from the main body of the temple by two columns. Particular attention and admiration of tourists is caused by the wall painting inside the church, which, unfortunately, is not very well preserved to this day, but still leaves an indelible impression.
Today the Church of Antiphonitis is considered one of the most significant architectural monuments of the Middle Ages in Cyprus.
