APOSTOLIC MONASTERY VARNAVAS

Founded around the year 477, the Greek Orthodox monastery of the Apostle Barnabas (Aziz Barnabas Manastırı, Μονή του Αποστόλου Βαρνάβα/Moni tou Apostolou Varnava) was one of Cyprus' most important holy sites before the 1974 invasion. Occupied by monks until 1976, it houses the tomb of Saint Barnabas and, since 1991, two museums. Born in the early ^1st century, Iosis Barnabas, known as Barnabas, belonged to the Jewish community of Salamis on Cyprus. He occupies an important place in the Acts of the Apostles: having left for Palestine, he became one of Christ's companions and therefore bears the title of apostle, although he was not one of the "official" twelve apostles. Returning to his hometown in A.D. 60, he led the first evangelization of Cyprus, before dying a martyr's death, probably hanged by the Jews of Salamis.

Tomb, museums and café. Rediscovered around 477, the tomb of Saint Barnabas was used to justify the autocephaly (independence) of the Church of Cyprus, recognized by the Roman/Byzantine Empire in 478. It lies 70 m to the east of the parking lot, beneath a 1950 chapel. Very simple, it remains a place of pilgrimage. But it's empty: the relics are kept in the Osion Varnavas kai Ilarionas church in the village of Peristerona, 30 km west of Nicosia-South. The complex itself was founded by the Byzantine emperor Zeno and has undergone numerous modifications. Damaged by Arab raids in the ^7th century, it remained the seat of the bishopric of Constantia/Salamine until the ^16th century. The main church dates from 1750. Inside, the ^19th-century wooden iconostasis remains. However, the walls were whitewashed after 1976. This is where icons from other churches in the region are - illegally - stored. These works are of little interest (the most precious have been stolen). The oldest is a representation of Saint John the Baptist dating from 1760, and many of the Saint Barnabas icons date from the 1960s. Of particular note, however, is the Decollation of St. John the Baptist (1858), in which the executioner is depicted as an Ottoman soldier. Two adjoining buildings have been converted into an archaeological museum. The collections are rather rich, but without much explanation. They cover a broad period from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages. Note these toys from the Archaic period (750-600 BC): attractive terracotta figurines of horsemen and horses mounted on wheels. Finally, the courtyard houses a pleasant little café-restaurant.