2 In the same way today, the rays of the sun enter through the western slit window of the apse of the post-Byzantine church to light the dark interior and fall on the painted figure of the Saint on his name day. In the yard of the church (Image) that ultimately covered the tomb, there is a baitylos stone (Image 2) that at summer solstice allowed the rays of the sun to light the interior of the ancient monument. The tomb, carved out of the soft rock, is covered by a monolithic stone beam which belonged to a megalithic structure of a sun-worshiping culture that pre-existed on the site. An example of such an early reuse is the tomb of St Habbakum in the village of Fteykoudi. 1 Anchoritism soon followed and many hermits, following the tradition first introduced in Egypt, founded dwellings in ancient chamber tombs and caves around the island, sanctified through carvings of crosses and other Christian symbols. In the first centuries of Christianity, monasticism, at least in the form in which we know it today, appeared in Cyprus in the fourth century, with the arrival, according to the legend, of Saint Helena bearing a piece of the Holy Cross. Invaluable lessons can be learned from their histories and from those who used them and with respect transformed them to the monuments of harmonic diversity we admire today. The Ottoman takeover of the island meant the conversion of some churches to mosques but this was done with the minimum of intervention, often transcending religious divisions. The ancient temples submitted their materials to the Christian churches, and the Byzantine churches were transformed into hybrids of dual worship (Orthodox and Catholic). Since Christianity was established on the island of Cyprus in the fourth century, ecclesiastical architecture underwent several transformations.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |