# Machairas Monastery > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Machairas_Monastery > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Machairas_Monastery.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machairas_Monastery > Source revision: 1352467106 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 12th-century monastery in Cyprus This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Please help improve this article by citing more sources. Find sources: "Machairas Monastery" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (April 2024) This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Machairas Monastery" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Machairas Μαχαιράς Machairas Monastery Location within Cyprus Monastery information Full name The Holy, Royal and Stavropegic Monastery of Machairas Order Orthodox monasticism Established 12th century Dedication Virgin Mary Celebration 21 November Diocese Church of Cyprus People Founder Manuel I Komnenos Prior Epiphanios, Bishop of Ledra Architecture Style Byzantine Site Location near Lazanias, Nicosia District Country Cyprus Coordinates 34°56′26″N 33°11′27″E / 34.9406°N 33.1909°E / 34.9406; 33.1909 **Machairas Monastery** ([Greek](/source/Greek_language): Μαχαιράς [locally [\[maʃeˈɾas\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Greek)]) is a historic [monastery](/source/Monastery) dedicated to the [Virgin Mary](/source/Virgin_Mary) located about 40 km from the capital of [Cyprus](/source/Cyprus), [Nicosia](/source/Nicosia). It lies at an altitude of about 900 m and was founded at the end of the 12th century close to the current village of [Lazanias](/source/Lazanias), in the [Machairas Forest](/source/Machairas_Forest). ## History Legend has it that an unknown hermit smuggled one of the 70 icons said to have been painted by [Luke the Apostle](/source/Luke_the_Apostle) secretly from [Asia Minor](/source/Asia_Minor) to Cyprus. This icon of the Virgin Mary remained in its hiding place until the arrival of two other hermits from [Palestine](/source/Palestine_(region)) in 1145: Neophytos and Ignatius who stumbled across the icon in a cave. To reach it, they had to [machete](/source/Machete) their way into the cave through the thick plant growth, so the icon assumed the name 'Machairotissa' in reference to the Greek word for knife μαχαίρι ([Makhaira](/source/Makhaira)). The whole monastery founded on this site takes its name from this icon. Following the death of Neophytos, Ignatios travelled with Prokopios (another hermit) to [Constantinople](/source/Constantinople) in the year 1172 where they succeeded in obtaining financial assistance from the then [Byzantine](/source/Byzantine) emperor [Manuel I Komnenos](/source/Manuel_I_Komnenos). The monastery was also granted ownership of the entire mountain on which it is now situated and the status of *stavropegion* (meaning it remained independent of the area bishopric). The initial monastery was then enlarged by the monk Neilos in the early 13th century. He became the first abbot of the monastery (later he even became bishop of [Tamassos](/source/Tamassos)). The monastery received further grants from two other Byzantine emperors: Emperor [Isaac II Angelos](/source/Isaac_II_Angelos) granted cash and land in Nicosia and Emperor [Alexios III Angelos](/source/Alexios_III_Angelos) donated 24 serfs.[1] The monastery was sustained great damage within the fire in 1892. So, archimandrite Chariton travelled to [Russian Empire](/source/Russian_Empire) to gain donations for the reconstruction of the monastery. He managed to collect 6 483 rubles. There is a small museum within the territory of the monastery. The museum is dedicated to [Grigoris Afxentiou](/source/Grigoris_Afxentiou), a Greek Cypriot insurgent leader who participated in [EOKA](/source/EOKA)'s campaigns during the [Cyprus Emergency](/source/Cyprus_Emergency). Afxentiou was [killed in action](/source/Killed_in_action) on 3 March 1957 in his secret hideout near the monastery. ## Architecture The monastery has a rectangular layout and a red-tiled timber roof. The main entrance faces towards the east; a second faces due west. The supporting buildings and monks' cells are built around a centrally located church designed in [Byzantine style](/source/Byzantine_architecture). The main aisle of the church is lined with a row of columns. It is covered by a dome and the large tiled roof. The interior of the church is decorated with religious icons, chandeliers, stone floors and wall [frescoes](/source/Fresco). The icon of the Virgin Mary takes a prominent position. Currently, the monastery holds 20–30 Orthodox monks who live off of agricultural activities. ## Festivals The monastery is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and officially celebrates the feast of the Entrance of the Virgin Mary to the Temple (*Eisodia*) on 21 November. ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Galatariotou, Catia. [*The Making of a Saint: The Life, Times and Sanctification of Neophytos the Recluse*](https://books.google.com/books?id=QUDFu-JTIPMC&pg=PA174). Cambridge University Press. p. 174. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-521-52188-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-521-52188-2). ## External links - [Machairas Monastery – Journey to Heaven](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSl5ahSdskk) (documentary video) v t e Monasteries of Cyprus Acheiropoietos Agios Neophytos Apostolos Andreas Chrysoroyiatissa Kantara Kykkos Machairas Panagia Apsinthiotissa Panagia Galaktotrofousa Panagia tou Sinti Stavrovouni Trooditissa Authority control databases International VIAF National United States --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Machairas Monastery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machairas_Monastery) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machairas_Monastery?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.