Luminous The earliest wall-paintings that were recently revealed are possibly dated to the 11th century but there is also a 13th century layer, a 15th century layer, and an extensive 16th century one. Some of the wall-paintings that cover the narthex can be dated to the late 13th century or the early 14th century. It is also worth mentioning that the church’s wooden carved iconostasis that is adorned with beautiful 16th century icons is dated to 1747. Fig. 418. The interior of a reconstructed house in the prehistoric settlement of Lempa, Pafos.
The Church of Agia Ekaterini, Tala The Church of Agia Ekaterini in Tala is the village’s parish church. It is single-aisled with a dome but it may have been barrel-vaulted originally if one notices the remains of the original building which survive in the west side of the church’s cross. The original church was possibly built during the 15th century and its extension to the east probably occurred during the 16th century. The western wall bears very few fragments of the initial wall-paintings. A wooden carved iconostasis exists in the church. Fig. 419. The Church of Agia Ekaterini, Tala.
Monastery of Agios Neofytos, Tala The Monastery of Agios Neofytos is one of the most remarkable and most important monasteries of Cyprus. It is located approximately ten kilometres to the northwest of Pafos and its foundation is associated with the Cypriot Saint Neofytos o Egkleistos whose hermitage is located beside the Monastery. Saint Neofytos who was originally from Lefkara chose to stay in this place and carved his hermitage in the natural rock in 1159. He lived in this cave as a hermit monk and became extremely well known even while he was still alive. He died and was buried in the same place sometime after 1214.
Saint Neofytos left behind him important work and he also wrote his Δ˘È΋ ¢È·ı‹ÎË (Typical Will), which is a valuable source for his hermitage and his life in general. In 1183 the hermitage (Egkleistra) was adorned with excellent quality wall-paintings by the painter Theodoros Apsevdis from Constantinople. Agios Neofytos had many pupils and at the beginning of the 16th century a grand church was Fig. 421. erected a few metres to the east of the Saint Neofytos, Egkleistra, also decorated with fine 16th century, 126.5 x 62.6 cm. wall-paintings. The wood carved Ecclesiastical Museum iconostasis is also dated to the of the Monastery beginning of the 16th century and the of Agios Neofytos. icons that it carries, depicting the Dodekaorto (the main feasts of the Church) and the Great Deisis, date to the year 1544 and were painted by Iosif Choures. Other important works of art, such as two icons of Christ and the Virgin Mary that come from the Egkleistra and are considered to be works of Theodoros Apsevdis, are kept in the Monastery’s museum.
saints of Cyprus
Neofytos Egkleistos. Born around 1134. He was first a monk at the Monastery of Agios Chrysostomos and later resorted to a secluded area of Pafos where he carved his hermitage in the natural rock where it survives until this day. He resided in the Egkleistra and studied and wrote up his whole life enclosed in it. The Bishop of Pafos, Vasileios Kinnamos, ordained him an elder. He was the most prolific writer of the 12th century. He died at a great age and was buried in the Egkleistra that he himself carved. Later, a monastery dedicated to him was founded next to the Egkleistra. He is celebrated on the 24th of January and the 28th of September.
The Church of Agia Ekaterini, Kretou Tera The Church of Agia Ekaterini is located to the east of Kretou Tera village, near the road that links Pafos with Poli Chrysochous. The church can be dated to the 15th century and it is one of the most important churches with an interesting architectural form. It is a threeaisled basilica with a dome, a type that was very popular in Cyprus during the island’s 16th century Venetian rule. Similar examples can be found in Pafos in the large katholikon of the Monastery of Agios Neofytos. However, the Church of Agia Ekaterini has an extremely unique feature and that is the open portico that is attached to the west side of the church and is covered with three hemispherical domes. Originally the church was heavily adorned with wall-paintings but unfortunately, very few badly preserved fragments survive today. These can be dated to the end of the 15th century.
SAINT NEOFYToS
Fig. 422. The Church of Agia Ekaterini, Kretou Tera.
181 Fig. 420. The Monastery of Agios Neofytos, Tala.