Holy Monastery of St Nicholas of the Cats, Byzantine monastery in Akrotiri, Cyprus
The Holy Monastery of St Nicholas of the Cats consists of a church building and living quarters situated near the Akrotiri salt lake.
Saint Helena established this religious complex in 327 AD and imported 1,000 cats from Egypt and Persia to eliminate venomous snakes in the area.
The monastery maintains the centuries-old tradition of housing numerous cats, which contributed to the development of the Cyprus cat breed.
Visitors can access the monastery grounds daily to observe the resident nuns creating religious icons and caring for the resident feline population.
Two separate bells once rang at the monastery: one summoned people for prayer while the other called cats for their daily snake-hunting duties.
GPS coordinates: 34.59931,32.98666
Latest update: March 2, 2025 22:53
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