Cathedral of St. John the Divine (Ayios Ioannis Cathedral) description and photos - Cyprus: Nicosia (Topic)

Cathedral of St. John the Divine (Ayios Ioannis Cathedral) description and photos - Cyprus: Nicosia. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Ayios Ioannis Cathedral.

Photo and description

Nicosia is not only the capital of Cyprus, but also the spiritual center of the island. This city is home to a huge number of Christian temples and churches. So, one of these shrines is the Cathedral of St. John the Theologian, located in the heart of Nicosia on the territory of the old city.

The cathedral would have been erected in the 17th century on the site of a monastery that belonged to the Western European Benedictine order, and is named after the saint John. Only a small building remained from the monastery, which now houses the exposition of the ethnographic museum.

The cathedral was created during the times when the island was under the rule of the Ottomans, so it looks very modest outwardly so as not to attract too much attention to itself Is a relatively small building without a dome, with a low bell tower. Despite its modest appearance and small size, this temple is a truly unique structure. Its interior decoration is striking in its beauty and luxury: the walls and ceiling are almost completely covered with beautiful bright frescoes created in the years 1736-1756, which depict various scenes from the Bible, as well as the events of the times of the struggle of the Cyprus Church for independence. Among other plots, there is even a detailed depiction of the scene of the Last Judgment. The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist is the only temple in the city where the ancient wall paintings have been fully preserved. In addition, next to it there is a museum of ancient icons, some of which are over a thousand years old.

Due to the fact that this saint is equally revered by both Orthodox and Catholics, thousands of pilgrims come to this place every year. It is also in this temple that the coronation of the new archbishops of the island takes place.

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Topic: Cathedral of St. John the Divine (Ayios Ioannis Cathedral) description and photos - Cyprus: Nicosia.