Chrysoroyiatissa Monastery

The Monastery of Chrysoroyiatissa is situated 40km north east of Paphos and sits on the side of a hill just outside the village of Panayia (where Archbishop Makarios was born) The monastery was dedicated in 1152 to ‘Our Lady of the Golden Pomegranate’ by the monk Ignatios who found a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary.

The monastery has an icon restoration studio also a museum of religious artifacts. The church itself is quite beautiful, featuring a single aisle with marvellous rocco chandeliers, and a very fine collection of frescoes which hang above the three entrances. The monastery was one of the first to start the commercial winemaking and the current Abbott has been responsible for introducing chardonnay grapes into Cyprus. There is also a shop on site where you can buy wine and religious souvenirs.