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Bellapais Monastery / Bellapais Abbey

Gothic Bellapais Monastery also known as Bellapais Abbey belongs undoubtedly to one of the show places of North Cyprus. Positioned on the flanks of the Five-finger (Kyrenia) Mountains in the beautiful hillside village of Bellapais, it was a home to a former home of British writer Lawrence Durrell (1912-1990).

Getting there

To get to the village of Bellapais , follow the road eastwards of Kyrenia that branches at the crossroads on the outskirts of town and at the next crossroads drive straight. Take the road signposted for Ozanköy and Beylerbeyi (Bellapais) village . You will pass through the Altinakaya holiday complex and further on, the road branches to the right with Ozanköy (The village of the poets) straight ahead. The road to Bellapais is lined with impressive villas on both sides, all grandiose in its style. You will spot modern holiday homes sharply contrasting to old Cypriot houses that were left after 1974. Before entering the village itself you come across an army camp entrance to the right and the road climbs to the mountain to the southern slopes of the Besparmak range. On the road to the village in the passage on the left there is a small white Orthodox church, now converted to the village mosque. Parking is rather difficult, but there i s a small space 70 m past the abbey building down to the left with a huge carob tree.

Opening hours

June - mid September daily 9.00 - 19.00
Mid September - May daily 9.00 - 17.00
Admission policies flexible, app. 5 YTL

Bellapais Abbey and its name

Bellapais Abbey derives its name from French Abbaye de la Paix which means " Abbey of Peace" . The monastery is one of the most peaceful and serene places on the island indeed. The Venetians corrupted the long-standing name, Abbaye de la Pais to De la Pais , from which it was easy elision to Béllapais .

History of Bellapais Abbey

The beauty of thirteen century French Gothic abbey of Bellapais was marked by several historic periods, each leaving significant traces on it.

French monks of Premontré

The abbey was originally established by St Mary of the Mountain just after 1200 by Augustinian canons fleeing their kingdom of Holy Land . Augustinians persuaded by Thierry, Archbishop of Cyprus, and a man behind the construction of Agia Sophia Cathedral (Selimiye Mosque) in Nicosia , they adopted the rule that arose in Premontré in northern France . Bellapais Abbey was also known as White Abbey because of the white habits worn by these monks. Under Thierry's guidance the abbey went prosperous, influential and made a fair reputation. It was even necessary for Pope Gregory IX in 1232 to remind the abbot of his canonical obedience and spend less time on secular affairs of state.

Prosperity under Lusignans

Soon Lusignan King Hugh III conferred on the abbot the right to wear a mitre, sword and golden spurs, which only puffed up the abbey's pretensions towards archbishopric of Nicosia . Moreover, in 1246 the abbey benefited from a large wealth left by a knight simply known as Roger the Norman who endowed them with a gift of a supposed fragment of the True Cross. This sacred relic made the abbey the focus of some distinguished wealthy pilgrims who would spend time in retreat and leave a generous remuneration at the end of their stay. Amassed in tremendous wealth, the abbey became a venue not only for worshippers, but also for royal family and nobility members. Under the rule of Hugh IV (1324-1359) the abbey continued on developing. Hugh IV, who was a devout catholic and an art promoter, was having great affection for Bellapais and spending much of his time constructing and renovating the monastic quarters. It was during his reign that the cloisters and the large refectory were built. The building was probably completed during the reign of Peter I and there was no further construction work thereafter.

Genoese and abbey decay

While the Lusignans dwelled in abbey and served good benefactors, the Genoese struck and overran the island in 1373. The abbey subsequently fell into disgrace. The treasury was smashed open and the abbey wealth looted including the piece of precious cross. The monastery became unhappily the victim of the onslaught and both moral and physical decline. The monks of the order dropped into promiscuity and never regained their former reputation. Taking only their wives and concubines, they would accept only their own children as novices. They let the abbey fall into decay and lived a life which was far from poverty and obedience.

Ottoman invasion

After the Ottomans invaded the island in 1570, they plundered the abbey leaving it slummy. Fate of the monks and their families being unknown, they probably got dispersed into nearby settlements. Apparently the village of Bellapais that grew up around the monastery became populated by descendants of the monks. Later the abbey was given to the Orthodox Church and it continued to serve for worship until 1974. Much of the monastic buildings later fell apart and the stones were used by the villagers for building of nearby cottages. The chambers that remained roofed served for farm implements and fodder stores, and sheep grazed in the cloisters.

Brits and after

Under British rule the abbey was put to little better handling as it served for the army, but still it suffered due to a human being. After 1960 repair work gradually began and up to the present day the abbey buildings have undergone a steady programme of restoration including repairs under the first curator of the Lapidary Museum in north Nicosia , George Jeffrey. What we can see today is a mixture of completion and destruction, still with some pieces of the monastery in excellent state of preserve.