kykkos monastery (panagia tou kykkou)

The best known and richest monastery in Cyprus. Kykkos was founded in 1100.It possesses one of the three surviving icons ascribed to Saint Luke. It is covered in silver gilt and is enclosed in tortoise shell and mother-of-pearl.The museum contains a priceless collection of icons, consecrated vessels, manuscripts and Cypriot antiquities. We visited on an organised tour of the Troodos from Paphos and were impressed by the beauty of the monastery. There's also a shop and café nearby.The first president of Cyprus, Archbishop Markariousn served as a novice here and is buried at Throni,3km west of the monastery.Religious fairs are held on September 8th and August 15th - so the Monastery will be busy.

Few visitors were present on the arrival of our coach at Kykkos It is impossible not to be filled with admiration & wonder at the sight of the numerous strikingly colourful beautiful mosaics which line the entrance, courtyard & stairway. Admiration of the skill of the artists & wonder at the thousands of hours it must have taken for their creation. A Feeling of discomfort followed with the viewing of relics encased in precious metals etc & then a growing unease as the commercial aspects of the place began to detract from any feelings of religious devotion. These feelings were reinforced when returning to our coach our Cypriot Rep. informed us of the very great importance & affluence of the Monastery & its ownership of a large prestigious hotel . A feeling of discomfort

This church is more modern because the older structures were burnt down during forest fires. But, it is beautiful and full of artistry given the wall mosaics which fill the monastery. The way the mosaics shine in the sun is amazing. There are also some wall paintings throughout the monastery. The church itself is also a thing of beauty. The drive to and from Kykkos is beautiful with the mountain views.

This monastery should not be missed on a trip to this area. The artwork on the walls is stunning - beautifully executed. If you can manage it, try to be there when a service is in progress. You can sit i the courtyard admiring the surroundings whilst listening to the monks chanting - very peaceful. There is a shop and a nearby cafe/restaurant. Do not miss this as it also entails a very picturesque drive in the Troodos mountains.

This monastery is situated high in the mountains and we arrived by coach and spent an hour here. The atmosphere is tranquil and the icons, decorations and even the candelabras were so lovingly made. The attention to detail by the artists is brilliant.

It takes an hour and a half up winding mountain roads to get here from Paphos, but well worth it. Very remote, high up in the mountains, but probably the most lavish in Cyprus. On two levels, with two courtyards linked by steps, and includes the church (amazing decorations, icons, paintings), a museum and two small shops. Just up the road is a pull-in with souvenir shops and a couple of cafes. If visiting, be sure to ensure your arms and legs are covered - no t shirts or shorts. And be prepared for the cold in the winter: we were there in early January with temperatures of 6 deg.

A great day out in the mountains and a impressive visit of the Monastery of Kykkos, the richest and most lavish of the monasteries of Cyprus.

Sometimes, visiting a museum in a relatively remote location can be a disappointment. Not so with Kykkos.The museum, the monastery and the church are well maintained and certainly worth a visit.The museum is really good and genuinely good value at £5 per adult. Great historical artefacts and relics from the monastery's 20 centuries of existence plus additionally some impressive stuff from the earlier and later bronze ages.A lovely mountainous road to get there. Recommended.

A visit to Kykkos Monastery takes you up into the Troodos mountains, great when the weather is hot down around the coast. The Monastery has fantastic paintings and an Altar covered in gold. Men have to wear trousers and the ladies have to cover up shoulders, it will take about an hour to walk around. If going by car, take a picnic and stop off in the surrounding forest and enjoy the peace before a slow drive back home.

Kykkos Monastery was founded in 1100s AD, and was rebuilt many times. It lay on the height of 1140 meters, to the west in Troodos mountains. It is a male Monastery, one of the most important, known and rich on Cyprus, dedicated to Virgin Mary. It is open for visitors, but there is a dress code as it used to be, and one can not go in wearing shorts or linen.There is a Monastery museum on the grounds, where a most important icon of Virgin can be found. This Icon has powerful crafts and in not to look at, that´s why the picture itself was in 1795 covered by a silver riza and now is never uncovered. There is a lot of fine bright mosaics and frescoes in buildings all around the inner court with a well in the middle. Mosaics are recent work from 1990s and are a real nice example of decorations in a contemporary artstyle. Whole place is an important religious destination with a lot of pilgrims and worshipers .Nice area for promenade och maybe picnic nearby Monastery. Because of height it is always considerably colder here and often rainy, so it is good to have a warm sweater with you.There is also a lots of souvenir shops selling tourist-requested products nearby the entrance by the car-parking, as well as few restaurants.

We booked ahead with Get Your Guide for $26 per person for the Troodos Mountains and the Kykkos Monastry all day tour. They picked us up at our hotel at 8:10 am. The ride was about 2 hours on these windy roads like looked like multiple truncates S formations. I would not want to be the bus driver for anything, but he was excellent. The guide was good, but his accent was so thick at times, we had to question each other to figure out what he said. There were Russians with us, so they had a separate guide with the microphone passed back and forth.It was freezing cold and they had had a good snowfall, so most of us were under dressed. I did not think the Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery church was all that interesting.There is enough stuff crammed in there to make it a sensory overload experience. We went to Pedoulas for lunch, skipped the suggested buffet and went to a different restaurant for an off the menu meal. We went to Mount Olympus, and stopped at the wine village of Omodos to taste the famous Commanderia wine. We each were given about 1 dl of wine, not much at all, and really sweet.All in all, it was a value for the scenery alone.

We were staying in Paphos and decided to take a trip upto the Troodos mountains. After a long and winding drive of two hours via Mandria which was an experience in it's self, going around Mount Olympus we arrived at the monastery. A modern and beautifull looking building with beautiful friezes and a great museum. We went into the old church and were stunned by it's opulence. Many icons and reliquaries. We felt a bit like intruders in this deeply religious place but were made welcome. What a drive back through the Paphos forest. Lots of people getting punctures!

full of history beautiful mosaics well worth a visit steeped in cypriot history excellent restaraunt in the area

A great day out in the mountains of Cyprus. Travelling into the cool mountain region you will see so much beautiful scenery and when you arrive at the impressive Monastery that is Kykkos you will be amazed by the wealth and splendor of on of the finest Monasteries in the MediterraneanIt is a must for everyone visiting the island of Cyprus. A very pleasant excursion away from the beaches and heat of the summer. Be aware that you must dress appropriately, no bare arms or shorts, the monks do provide simple robes for you to wear while visiting the holy place.Also, a very nice small gift shop selling local produce and wine from the monastery vine yard. In the parking area there are stalls selling local produce and there is also a cafe/restaurant.

Kykkos Monastery is situated in the Troodos Mountains and in my opinion is a "must see" if you are visiting Cyprus. The journey from Paphos takes approx 2 hours on winding mountain roads but is well worth it. The whole atmosphere of the place is one of peace and tranquillity. The monastery has its own museum, shop and church. Another plus is that the air there is cooler which is always a welcome relief. A word of heed, if you are wearing shorts and/or sleeveless tops you will be asked to wear a long gown to cover yourself up before entering. Just a short walk from the monastery is a small row of shops and a nice restaurant. To be honest, our children were slightly bored as this probably wasn't there idea of fun but they have talked about lots afterwards so it clearly made an impression on them :)