Panagia tou Araka Church

If you are looking for a place where you can enjoy the fascinating combination of rich cultural heritage and warm hospitality in a beautiful natural environment, then you need to head to the village of Lagoudera in the Troodos Mountains and pay a visit to the church of Panagia tou Araka (Our Lady of the Pea).

This 12th century church is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is considered to be one of the most important Byzantine churches in Cyprus, together with the churches of Asinou and Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis.

Do not be surprised when you realise that the church looks more like a barn. The reason that this sacred Byzantine building was given a barn-like gable roof was to make it more resistant to the area's weather conditions.

You will not mind the shape of the building at all when you start viewing some of the best frescoes of the late Comnenian style (1192 A.D.), popular throughout Greece, the Balkans and Russia, knowing that you are standing in a wonderful setting amid trees and the wild peas that give the church its name.

When you arrive, look for the priest on the premises next to the church. He will be happy to escort you.

Highlights:

• Panagia tou Araka is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most important Byzantine churches in Cyprus

• The church is located in a fabulous natural setting in the Troodos Mountains

Look Out For:

• A local care taker is supposedly inside the church every day or his contact details should be posted on the church. Otherwise look for the priest who can be found on the premises next to the church and ask him to escort you

• Unless you have a four-wheel drive vehicle, do not be tempted to take short cuts on forest tracks through the Troodos area to arrive to the church – stick to the main roads