Armenian Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Armenian Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Mosques - History and Travel Guide of Cyprus

Previous to the Turkish occupation in 1570 this was a great Benedictine convent dedicated to St Mary of Tyre. After using it for a short period as a salt store, the Turks presented the property to the Armenians in recognition of services rendered during the seven week siege of the city. The fourteenth-century structure did not suffer excessive damage during that time, and some of the Gothic detail has defied later over-zealous restoration work. A vaulted cloister on the north side, with arches supporting nothing at all, suggest that at some period a scheme for enlargement was abandoned. The tombstone of the Benedictine abbess, Eschive de Dampierre (d. 1340), has been incorporated in the east end of this cloister. The tracery of the church windows must be studied from outside, because their inner sides have been barricaded with wooden sashes and coloured glass. It is, however, worth while applying to the custodian, who lives in the churchyard, for entry to the church for a view of the medieval tombstones set into the floor. The majority of these are covered by a carpet, which can be rolled back. The best examples are near the entrance to the sanctuary. They are mainly of the fourteenth century, and illustrate most beautifully the dress and armour worn by the aristocracy of the period. The design of the church is also of interest. It has a single nave, two large bays and a polygonal choir, with a large window of eight lights occupying the total width of the east bay.

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