Prayer helps the neophyte in some ways. Venerable neophyte, recluse of Cyprus Why does the holy neophyte have silver hands

Orthodox traditions here date back to the beginning of Christianity, so the island is one of the most visited places by pilgrims. The Monastery of St. Neophytos the Recluse is one of the main ones.

Who is Neophyte the Recluse

Venerable Neophytos is one of the favorite saints in Cyprus. He lived in the eleventh century. The boy came from a large peasant family living in a small village, not far from the famous village of Lefkara, which is located in the district.

Upon reaching 18 years of age, his parents decided to arrange his marriage. The future saint ran away from home and went to become a novice at the monastery of St. John Chrysostom near Mount Kutsovendi. Since he did not know how to read and write, the abbot assigned him to look after the vineyards.

Gradually Neophyte learned to read and write. After living in the monastery for several years, the young man became even more desirous of becoming an ascetic and asked the abbot to make him a hermit. However, the abbot did not meet him halfway, because he believed that the novice was too young.

Then Neophyte went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with the permission of the abbot. There he spent six months looking for hermits who would take him as disciples. However, this was not successful. The monk had no choice but to return to his monastery and again ask the abbot to bless him for hermitage. And again he was refused.

The young novice left the monastery of St. John Chrysostom to secretly leave for Asia Minor, to the mountain of hermit monks. The fugitive was arrested and put in prison, where he, however, did not stay.

After all the misadventures, Neophyte decided to start a hermit’s life on his own in Cyprus. Not far from Paphos, in the mountains, he found a cave, and for a year he built a small church in it. Initially the temple consisted of a monastery and a cell. Later, Neophyte built a dining room in the rock and consecrated his structure.

Next, he spent seven years in his church alone, spending time in prayer and asceticism. Finally, rumors about the holy hermit spread throughout the surrounding area and reached the bishop, who invited Neophytos to take disciples and thus found a monastery. The recluse was against this idea; he wanted to be left alone. But after four years of persuasion, he gave in.

The disciples who appeared began to carve cells for themselves in the rock. The influx of pilgrims gradually increased, and the fame of the monastery spread throughout Cyprus. Saint Neophytos of Cyprus needed solitude, so he carved out a new cell for himself at the very top, from where he descended only to serve in the temple. He spent time in prayer and also engaged in writing.

History of the monastery

In 1503, a new temple was built 100 meters from the old one, but in 1570 it was destroyed by the Turks. The monks returned only in 1611. In the 17th century, the monastery began to be rebuilt. Then the relics of Saint Neophytos were found and transferred to the new temple.

The main temple is decorated with colonnades and a domed basilica. He is beautiful and bright. The frescoes inside are partially preserved, and the iconostasis is one of the rarest surviving examples of wood carving from the 16th century. In the eastern part of the monastery there is a museum, which displays icons and manuscripts, including the works of the Venerable Neophyte himself.

The monastery is located in such a way that it is surrounded on three sides by fairly high picturesque hills covered with lush greenery. On the eastern side of the large hill, the original Church of the Holy Cross is still preserved, which was cut down by Neophytos himself and his disciples. It is accessible to visitors and surprises with its paintings, preserved from the 11th century.

You can get to the uppermost monastery, where the saint died, via a narrow bridge. The entrance to it is extremely inconvenient and therefore not always accessible to visitors. The church carved into the rock is a curious and unusual sight that attracts the unflagging attention of tourists. The monastery continues to function, although the number of monks today is small.

A visit to the Cypriot monastery of St. Neophytos will give tourists real pleasure, and pilgrims will be able to venerate the relics of the revered Cypriot saint.

The chairman of the Cyprus branch of the IOPS, L. A. Bulanov, sent his article about Neophyte the Recluse to the journal “Science and Religion” and the newspaper “Bulletin of Cyprus” and to the website ippoinfo.ru ippo.ru. This article contains a photo and an icon purchased from the monastery of St. Neophytos the Recluse.

Monastery of St. Neophytos the Recluse
The main pilgrimage attraction in Paphos district is the monastery of St. Neophytos of the Recluse (Agios Neofytos) - located 10 kilometers northwest of the city of Paphos. Get to the monastery of St. Neophyte from Paphos can be reached by two roads. The first passes through the villages of Empa and Tala. The second is through the villages of Mesogi and Tremitxousa. Both of these roads connect near the monastery. The monastery, located at an altitude of 412 meters above sea level, offers magnificent views of the expanse of water and the city of Paphos.
Saint Neophyte the Recluse
St. Neophytos is one of the revered and beloved saints in Cyprus. His life confirms that he was a truly great man. An illiterate young man from the village became not only the founder of one of the most famous monasteries on the island, but a prolific writer of the Middle Byzantine period. St. Neophytos was born in 1134 in the small village of Kato Dris near Lefkara in the north of Larnaca district into a large and poor peasant family. From an early age he chose the monastic career. When he turned 18, his parents decided to marry him. The young man secretly left his father's house and became a novice at the monastery of St. John Chrysostom in the north of the island near Mount Kutsovendi. Since Neophytos was illiterate, the abbot of the monastery, Maxim, gave him the obedience to cultivate the monastery’s vineyards. For five years he combined hard work with study. Over the years, he mastered literacy and writing, studied the Holy Scriptures and memorized the Psalter.
Neophyte's perseverance and devotion to faith were noticed, he was appointed assistant sacristan, and for two years he fulfilled this obedience. Living in a monastery strengthened his desire for an ascetic life, and he asked the abbot for permission to become a hermit. The neophyte was still young, and the abbot refused him. Then, with the blessing of the abbot, he made a pilgrimage to the holy land, where he spent six months wandering, unsuccessfully trying to find a hermit who would take him as a disciple. After returning to the monastery of St. John Chrysostom, he again asked the abbot for permission to become an ascetic, and again received a refusal. Then Neophyte decided to leave the monastery and go to Asia Minor to Mount Latros, where the hermit monks lived. In the port of Paphos, Neophytos was arrested as a fugitive and put in prison. After a petition from influential acquaintances, he was soon released and decided to seek solitude in Cyprus.
In 1159, not far from Paphos, he found a small cave. For a year of hard work, Neophytos built a small church in it - the monastery of Enclestra and a cell in which he dug a grave for himself. Later, he carved a refectory into the rock next to the cell and consecrated the entire monastery in the name of the Holy Cross. Neophyte spent seven years in solitude, prayer and ascetic deeds.
Gradually, rumors about the righteous recluse spread throughout the surrounding villages, and reached the Bishop of Paphos, Vasily Kinnamos. At the beginning of 1166, Vasily Kinnamos invited Neophytos to accept the priesthood and take students as his assistants. After four years of resistance, the hermit finally agreed. The monastery began to grow, the number of monks increased, and cells appeared in the rock. The constant influx of visitors to the monastery interfered with Neophyte’s solitary life, and in 1197 he dug a new cell high above the monastery and gave it the name “New Zion.” To participate in divine services, he built another cell above the monastery church - the “Sanctuary”, which was connected to the church by a rectangular hole. From then on, he came to his students for conversation and instruction only on Sundays, spending his life in fasting, writing and prayer in seclusion.
The date of the saint's death is unknown. This happened after 1214, when he completed his famous “Ritual of the Sacrament,” which is kept in the library of Edinburgh in Scotland. According to the will of the saint, he would be buried in a grave that he prepared for himself, and the hole made to place the coffin in the grave would be blocked with a wall so that it would not be visible. Over time, the exact burial place of the saint was forgotten.
History of the monastery
Further history of the monastery of St. Neophyte is in many ways similar to the history of other Cypriot monasteries. In 1503, through the efforts of the abbot, a new monastery church was erected 100 meters from the monastery of St. Neophyte. In 1570, the monastery was plundered by the Turks. After the release of the firm (decree) of the Turkish Sultan Murat, the monastery of St. Neophyte, like some other monasteries on the island, was sold and the monks left it. The revival of the monastery began in 1611 under the abbot Leonty. At the same time, the monastery received stauropegial status (subordinate only to the Archbishop of Cyprus).
In 1735, the Russian monk V. Grigorovich-Barsky visited the monastery. He compiled a description of the monastery and made very detailed drawings, which in our days have been used to restore the monastery. The monastery was then going through difficult times: “It has about ten cells, of exquisite (beautiful) art, made of hard and strong stone, but the monks are very few in number, only two or three are there, and they cannot maintain the monastic order as it should be, nor will multiply more in number, due to the many violence and unbearable acts of the Turkish.”
In 1746, under the abbot of Athanasius, the monastery began to revive again, and in 1756, under the same abbot, the relics of the saint were found, which were transferred to the main church of the monastery.
During the terror carried out by the Turks in Cyprus in 1821 in response to the support of part of the clergy of the island for the liberation uprising in Greece, the abbot of the monastery, Joachim, who did a lot to increase the property of the monastery, was tortured and then executed.
Currently in the monastery of St. Neophyte 10 monks. The local monastic brethren include several monks from Russia who decided to devote themselves to serving the Church on Cypriot soil. Through the efforts of the current abbot of the monastery, Leonty, the works of St. Neophyte, and some of them are translated into Russian.
As mentioned above, St. Neophytos was one of the prolific writers of the Middle Byzantine period and one of the first historians of Cyprus. He wrote more than a dozen works, of which, in addition to “The Ritual of the Sacrament,” the most famous are “On Disasters in the Cyprus Country” and “A Word for the Sixth Day.” St. Neophytos is the author of sermons and commentaries on the Bible, as well as other works containing valuable information about the lives of the saints and the history of the island.
Skete of Saint Neophytos
From the north, west and east the monastery is surrounded by high hills. On the eastern side of the largest hill there is the monastery of St. Neophyte. “There on the dump, with an inconvenient rise, like a gusset’s nest, is the cave of St. Neophyte, where there is now a church in the name of the saint, is very small, covered all over with iconography, touching every pious admirer,” V. Grigorovich-Barsky wrote about him.
You can get to the monastery through a narrow bridge built in 1877, the Skete of St. Neophyte consists of the Church of the Holy Cross, its vestibule, the cell of St. Neophyte and refectory.
The cells of the Holy Cross and the cell of the saint were completely painted with the blessing of Neophytos himself in 1183 and 1196. The name of the icon painter Theodore Apsevdis, a painter from Constantinople, has been preserved. This is evidenced by the painter's autograph on the northern wall of the cell. In 1503, the frescoes of the church were updated and supplemented. The paintings of the church and the saint's cell still amaze the visitor.
Of the paintings in the monastery church, the most expressive are the scenes of the Passion of the Lord on the upper part of the southern and western walls. The frescoes “Last Vespers”, “Washing of the Feet”, “Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane”, “Betrayal of Judas”, “Jesus before Pilate”, “The Path to Calvary”, “Crucifixion and Descent from the Cross” are well preserved. In the lower part of the western wall of the church, near twelve images of Egyptian monks - the founders of the first monasteries, there is an interesting fresco of St. Staffan the New, who died as a martyr at the hands of the iconoclasts in the 8th century. He holds in his hand the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos Eleusa (Merciful). On the eastern side of the church, most of the fresco of St. Constantine and Helen holding the Cross of the Lord.
The most impressive fresco of the church is above the altar, which is located in the northern part due to the morphology of the cave. On it is St. A neophyte in angelic attire with crossed arms prayerfully asks the archangels to help him be worthy of meeting God.
Another expressive fresco is located in the cell. On it is St. The neophyte kneels and prays to Christ sitting on the throne. On both sides of the saint, the Most Holy Theotokos and John the Baptist turn to Christ in prayer.
The vestibule of the church was decorated with frescoes at the beginning of the 16th century, of which only the “Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary” is well preserved. The paintings in the refectory, which is located north of the saint’s cell, were completed after 1124. Only a small part of the heavily damaged frescoes has survived to this day.
The main temple of the monastery of St. Neophytos
The main church of the monastery (catholikon) was built at the beginning of the 16th century and consecrated in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a domed basilica, the appearance of which shows the influence of the Venetian style. The side aisles of the temple are separated by two colonnades of four columns each. The columns are decorated with pseudo-Corinthian capitals, characteristic of the Venetian Renaissance.
In 1735, V. Grigorovich-Barsky saw the main monastery church like this: “The Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, standing inside the monastery, is neither large nor small in location, but the same, equal in length and breadth and height; bright, with many windows, and on top with a leopardic (beautiful) dome. From the outside and inside it is made of pure and carved stone, and has two magnificent gates, from the west and south ... "
The paintings on the vaults, completed in 1544, have been partially preserved in the temple. From the paintings on the vault of the southern nave, dedicated to events from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the frescoes “Prayer of Jokim”, “Nativity of Christ”, and “Adoration of the Magi” have reached us. In the paintings of the apse, two frescoes stand out - “The Communion of the Apostles” and the image of the holy fathers of the church: Athanasius, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, Cyril of Alexandria and St. John the Merciful. In the semicircular niche of the apse under the image of St. Sylvester, a picturesque fresco with an angel holding a crimson shroud has been preserved. On the eastern side of the northern aisle of the temple, attention is drawn to the image of the Holy Trinity in the Western iconographic version, that is, in the vault of heaven, God the Father, Christ and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove instead of the usual image of the Old Testament Trinity in Byzantine iconography.
The iconostasis of the temple is one of the few surviving examples of wood carving from the 16th century in Cyprus. Icons of Christ, the Virgin Mary, John the Baptist, the twelve apostles and the Archangel Michael and Gabriel date back to the 19th century. Small icons dedicated to the twelve feasts were made in 1544 in the Byzantine style, characteristic of the Palaiologan era. Icon of St. Neophyte was painted by the famous Cypriot master Ioanis Koronaros in 1806. Silver shrine, in which the honorable head of St. Neophyte, made in 1802.
Monastery Museum
The monastery museum is located in the eastern building of the monastery. Its five halls display a collection of icons from the 12th to 19th centuries, gospels, manuscripts, including the manuscript of St. Neophyte, printed books and antique ceramics. It is worth highlighting the faces of Christ and the Virgin Mary (1183) by Theodore Apsevdis, who painted the church of the monastery of St. Neophyte, and icons of the archangels Michael and Gabriel (1544) by icon painter Joseph Khuris. Among the museum's exhibits, a Russian pilgrim will be especially interested in the funeral synodikon about the donations that were collected for the monastery in 1863 in Russia, the magnificent gold-embroidered shroud and the icon of the Crowning of the Virgin Mary to the Kingdom of the Russian letter.
The patronal feast of the monastery is August 15, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Memory of St. Neophyte is celebrated twice - on January 24 and September 28.
Empa. Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary

On the way from the monastery of St. A neophyte can make a stop in the village of Empa to explore the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Eleusa (Panagia Chryseleousa). This church, significant by Cypriot scale, was built in the 12th century and represents a classical, Byzantine, cross-domed basilica. The church's paintings date back to the 15th century. The narthex (narthex) of the temple with an octagonal dome was added in 1744. Among the well-preserved frescoes, it is worth noting the face of Christ Pantocrator surrounded by the Heavenly Forces, the scene of the Last Judgment on the southern vault and a cycle of twelve frescoes dedicated to the main events in the life of Christ. In the iconostasis of the 16th century, especially noteworthy are the icons of the Most Holy Theotokos Eleusa, Christ and John the Baptist.

History of the monastery

As a young man, Neophytos became a novice at the monastery of St. John Chrysostom, but aspired to become a hermit. Due to his young age, he did not receive permission from the abbot of the monastery, made pilgrimages, and eventually received permission, returned to Cyprus.

Having first entered the Enklystra cave in 1159, he chose it for his asceticism and manually enlarged the cave over the course of a year. The cave was divided into two parts, and in its depths Neophytos built a cell with a grave prepared for himself. Near the exit there was a marble slab - the holy throne.

Over time, the monastery turned into a monastery, which lived by the ideals of hermitism. Neophyte died in 1224, he was 90 years old, 60 of which he spent in his cell.

Monastery today

Today, the monastery of St. Neophytos, built at the beginning of the 16th century and consecrated in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, attracts pilgrims and tourists. The relics of Neophyte rest here, and there is also a museum of the monastery, where collections of icons, manuscripts of Neophyte himself and frescoes on the walls are presented.

January 24 and September 28 are designated as holidays in the monastery. These days it is especially crowded here, pilgrims come from all over the world. The monastery is located high in the mountains, it is a quiet place with a gorgeous view, and a cozy courtyard and monastery gardens immerse visitors in walks alone.

How to get to the monastery of St. Neophytos?

You can get to the monastery by taxi or. It is located at: Cyprus, Paphos, Agios Neofytos Ave, Tala. From Paphos we drive towards the village of Mesogi, then follow the sign towards the village of Tremitousa to the left. Next we head along the main road, which will lead to the monastery.

Time to visit:
Daily: 09:00 - 13:00, 14:00 - 18:00 (May - October), 09:00 - 13:00, 14:00 - 16:00 (November - April)

Most tourists prefer to book a general group excursion, but then the coverage of attractions is reduced to a minimum. It is popular because it can introduce you to every part of the region and immerse you in a holy atmosphere.

The Cyprus Monastery of St. Neophytos the Recluse (Agios Neophytos Monastery) is located near the settlement of Tala. This is one of the most significant Orthodox monasteries in Cyprus, founded by the monk Neophytos in 1159. Neophyte grew up in a village family and ran away from home because he wanted to become a novice, and his parents wanted him to get married. At the monastery, he worked in the vineyards and also taught literacy. The abbot did not allow the novice to become an ascetic because of his young age. A few years later, Neophyte began to lead an ascetic life on his own.

The neophyte, who opposed material values, chose a natural cave for seclusion and expanded it with his own efforts. This monk’s cell is called the “Enklystra Cave”; it is located in the mountains, from which you can see the picturesque Mediterranean Sea.

Prices in the monastery of St. Neophytos the Recluse

Entrance to the monastery itself is free. The cost of a general ticket to enter the Neophyte caves and the museum is 2.5 EUR (euro). Ancient frescoes have been preserved in the caves, including those painted back in the 12th century under Neophytos. It is important for travelers to follow the established rules and not take photographs in the rock cells.

Story

Monk Neophyte spent more than half of his life in a separate secluded cell, which was divided into two parts: at the exit there was a marble holy throne, and in the depths of the cave cell there was a prepared grave. In this cave he prayed, wrote down his thoughts and recorded historical events. In 1170, the Bishop of Paphos convinced Neophytos to accept the priesthood and sent a student to him, from which the creation of the monastery began. Over time, Neophytos drew up a monastic charter.

More and more new students came to the monastery, its popularity grew, and Neophyte preferred to be away from this bustle. Therefore, he created another cell, even higher on the mountain. The disciples saw him only at Sunday services; Neophyte spent most of his time in seclusion reading, writing and praying. To go down to the church, Neophyte made another cell with a hole. Until his death at the age of about 90, the monk lived in his cave, which has survived to this day.

Neophyte's successors did not try to isolate themselves from the world: on the contrary, in subsequent centuries the monastery confidently expanded and was filled with monks. Decorations and paintings appeared in the rooms.

Today we see the monastery near the cave of Neophyte the Recluse in the form in which it was rebuilt in the 15th century. Several decades later, in the 16th century, a temple in honor of the Mother of God was erected on the territory of the monastery.

The height above sea level at which the monastery is located is 412 meters.

At the end of the 16th century, the monastery suffered after repeated Turkish raids. Restoration and restoration work began only in the middle of the 18th century. At this time, the relics of Saint Neophytos were found, which are now kept in the church at the monastery; they are available to pilgrims who want to venerate the relics. The temple also preserves the original wooden iconostasis with masterful carvings, sections of painted vaults, mosaics and frescoes.

In the eastern wing of the Neophytos monastery today there is a museum where ancient icons, miniatures, stoles (originals or multimedia materials about them), and household items from the ancient period are exhibited. The monastery has a landscaped courtyard and is surrounded by beautiful, well-kept gardens. According to tourists, near the entrance there are shops with souvenirs, honey and sweets from the monastery.

Pilgrims regularly come to this spiritual place, especially many people come here on church holidays dedicated to Saint Neophytos.

The monastery of St. Neophytos has its own official website, where a detailed history of the life of the saint and the temple is published, and a schedule of church ceremonies is posted. But all the information on the site is in Greek.

How to get to the Monastery of Saint Neophytos in Cyprus

Many travel companies sell excursion trips to the monastery by bus. You can get to the monastery on your own by car. The nearest major city is Paphos, 10 kilometers away. From there you need to go towards the village of Mesogi, turn left, following the sign to the village of Tremitusa. Continue along the main road, which will lead to the monastery with equipped parking. The journey by car will take 20 minutes.

A bus takes you to the monastery from Paphos: flight number 604 departs from Karavella station. Travel time is approximately 40 minutes. The bus departs almost every three hours on weekdays.

A trip to the monastery of St. Neophytos the Recluse can be organized using a taxi: Taxidi, “Russian Taxi in Cyprus”, Taxi Cyprus 24 services operate in Cyprus.

Monastery of Saint Neophytos in Cyprus on Google Maps panoramas:

Video about Neophytos Monastery:

The Monastery of St. Neophytos is located near the village of Tala, in a forest clearing among green hills.

The domed basilica, built at the beginning of the 16th century, is located in the center of the monastery courtyard, and other buildings huddle around it, among which the ancient cave monastery, according to legend, was carved out by Saint Neophytos himself.

Neophyte was born in the small mountain village of Lefkara in 1134. As a young man, he secretly left his parental home to devote himself to serving God, and went to the monastery of St. Chrysostomos, where, showing perseverance in his studies, he earned the position of assistant sacristan. However, Neophyte’s desire to go further and further in his spiritual quest led him to Jerusalem, where the monk wanted to find a mentor and refuge from the bustle of the world. These searches were not successful, after some time Neophyte returned to Cyprus, and, in the end, found a secluded cave in the mountainous region of Paphos, carved a stone bench in it for work and sleeping, and prepared a tomb for himself in the eastern wall of the cell, in which he was subsequently buried.

While Neophytos lived in his cave cell, he worked on creating a monastery. He built an altar and a nave, connecting them with his home, and a little later a refectory appeared. The new monastery was consecrated in the name of the Holy Cross. In addition, the hermit sprinkled a particle of the True Cross he had found into the wooden cross of the temple (only the cross itself has survived to this day, and the miraculous particle was lost).

Over time, rumors about the new monastery and the hermit who founded it spread throughout the area, and students flocked to the monastery. Bishop Basil Kinnamos ordained Neophytos and convinced him to take novices. The artist Theodore Ansevdis painted the hermit's cell and the Sanctuary with frescoes, and the refectory and nave were decorated 30 years later by another artist (the stylistic differences in the paintings can be seen with the naked eye).

One of the frescoes by Theodore Apsevdis depicts the holy Neophyte himself at the feet of Christ seated on the throne. The painting on the ceiling of the Sanctuary, created by the same artist, depicts the monk Neophytos in angelic vestments, surrounded by the archangels Michael and Gabriel, ready to accompany the saint to the righteous judgment of Christ Pantocrator.

As indicated in Neophyte’s book “The Ritual of the Sacraments,” he wanted to be buried in a coffin, which he had made with his own hands in advance, and the coffin itself was walled up in a crypt in the wall of the cell. Then the wall behind which the crypt was hidden had to be decorated with paintings so that nothing would indicate that a burial place was hidden there. The inhabitants of the monastery exactly fulfilled Neophyte’s wishes after his death, and over time everyone forgot the hermit and his grave. Years later, in 1735, the monk and traveler Vasily Grigorovich-Barsky wrote with regret in his notes that the burial place of the founder of the monastery of St. Neophytos had not yet been discovered. And 21 years later, when Athanasius was the abbot of the monastery, the grave and relics of the saint were found and moved to the main church of the monastery, where they are preserved to this day.

The neophyte, who learned to read and write only at the age of 18, is considered the most prolific Byzantine writer of the 12th century. Some of his works were published in Venice under Archbishop Cyprian, and the manuscript “Ritual of the Sacraments” with notes by the author is in the library of the University of Edinburgh.

Over its long history, the monastery of St. Neophytos has experienced several ups and downs. An important role in its development was played by the fact that in the first half of the 17th century it received stauropegial status, which gave the monastery independence and self-government.

The main cave church, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, was built east of the cave hermitage in the 16th century. Today it is a basilica with a narthex, columns and semicircular arches, topped with a six-meter dome. On the marble floor of the temple you can see a double-headed eagle - a symbol of the Byzantine Empire.

Some of the ancient frescoes in the altar and on the vaults of the side aisles of the temple have survived to this day. At the end of the apse in the Sanctuary of the temple you can see the traditional image of the Mother of God Hodegetria, the scene of the “Communion of the Apostles” and frontal images of the Fathers of the Church. In the semicircular tower to the left of the apse are the relics of the holy martyr Stephen.

Stephen lived during the early days of Christianity, and was chosen as one of the seven helpers of the apostles. The Jews hated the young man and one day, during a sermon, they seized him and brought him to court, accusing him of insulting God and the prophet Moses. Stephen was killed on false charges.

On the soffit of the first arch of the southern colonnade of the temple, another ancient fresco has been preserved, depicting the Monk Alexy, who, having left his parents and wife, begged for alms for 17 years at the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos in Edessa. One day Alexy decided to go by ship to the homeland of the Holy Apostle Paul. The ship on which he was sailing lost its course and landed on the shore not far from Rome, and Alexy, seeing God’s plan in this, returned to his father’s house, where, after so many years, no one recognized him. The truth about the origin of Alexy became clear on the day of his death: the face of the saint shone with a wonderful light, and in his hand was clutched a scroll containing a detailed description of his entire life.

A carved three-tiered iconostasis occupies the entire width of the naves and almost completely blocks the altar space. On two sides of the Royal Doors there are icons of the Savior and the Blessed Virgin Mary (16th century), as well as icons of St. Neophyte by John Cornaro and the image of John the Baptist, and the festive series includes 26 scenes from the life of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. In the center of the top row of the iconostasis you can see the fresco composition “Deesis”, which depicts the Most Holy Theotokos and John the Baptist praying for the forgiveness of human sins (the authorship of Joseph Hurios is indicated on the back of the icon).

Visitors to the temple can also look at a silver shrine containing the skull of a Cypriot saint and a sarcophagus decorated with openwork carvings containing the relics of the holy hermit Neophytos.

The museum, located in the eastern part of the monastery complex, displays church books and utensils, manuscripts of Neophytos, relics, candelabra, rare icons of the 12th century and much more.

The white stone monastery complex looks picturesque against the backdrop of green hills. In the refectory of the monastery hangs a large fresco of the Last Supper, painted by modern Russian artists, and the guest room is decorated with a mosaic: its plot repeats the painting in the cell of the holy hermit, after whom the monastery is named.