Acheiropoietos Monastery, Byzantine monastery in Lapithos, Cyprus.
Acheiropoietos Monastery is a structure featuring two domes and a Gothic narthex located in Lapithos. It blends elements from early Christian, Byzantine, Lusignan, and Frankish periods, the result of reconstructions that took place over centuries.
The monastery was built in the 11th century on the foundations of a ruined 6th-century Christian church. It became the seat of the Bishop of Lambousa, one of fifteen episcopal sees on Cyprus, until 1222. In 1735 the Russian monk Vasily Barsky counted nine to ten monks there; by the 20th century no resident monks remained.
The monastery takes its name from a religious icon that, according to local tradition, moved itself to safety during the Turkish conquest period. This name still reflects the spiritual meaning the place holds for the community.
The complex is closed to the public: since the 1974 Turkish invasion it has served as a Turkish Army barracks and encampment, and it remains inaccessible. It stands near Karavas in the Lapithos municipality of the Kyrenia district, in the north of the island. Conservation is handled by the International Centre for Heritage Studies of Girne American University, so the buildings can only be seen from outside.
Archaeologists discovered the Lamboussa Treasure near the monastery in 1897, a collection of Byzantine silver artifacts from the 6th century. These finds now reside in the British Museum and show the ancient importance of the site.
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