The monastery of Apostolos Andreas in Karpasia, is found built on the most remote shore of the homonymous cape. Having almost collapsed, after forty years under Turkish occupation, it is quiet still today, waiting for the day of freedom.
The Monastery of Apostolos Andreas was the most popular pilgrim for the whole of Cypriot Hellenism and not only, since there were many Turkish Cypriots that arrived to the Church to worship.
Today it is closed for believers with the excuse that it is under reconstruction. We do not know when this will be completed so that thousands of believers will be able to bring their offerings. Knowing the culture of the occupiers, and their nature, the conclusion “never” can be stated with certainty. It will be kept there, ready to collapse just to punish the faith of Hellenism.
The history of the Monastery goes back to the first years of Christianity. Back when the Apostle Andreas began preaching to people of the time. One of his destinations was Cyprus. After he was done with preaching Christianity, he looked for a port from which he would carry on to the Nations. This research brought him to the Temple of Aphrodite that was next to a small port in the eastern cape of Cyprus. That is where boats carrying Aphrodite’s worshippers arrived. He sat on a rock next to the port and waited. Not long later, a boat arrived, bringing the Captain and his blind child. The Apostle Andreas asked him to take him with him and he said that he could not do so because the water supplies they had on board was not enough for the trip.
The Apostle told him that he would help him to gather as much water as he needed. The captain did not believe him since he knew that there was no water in the area. Then the Saint prayed and hit the rock with his wand. Sweet water started flowing from it. After they filled their jars, they asked to be baptised as Christians.
Afterwards they embarked altogether and departed. Then the captain’s blind son turned and said “Father, the sails of our boat have a hole in it, I should get up there and sew a patch on it”.
On their return from the journey, the captain descended at the point where the Saint performed his miracle, and after he demolished Aphrodite’s Temple, he gathered up stones and built a small church in the name of the Apostle Andreas.
A small church with gothic influences was built in the 15th century above the point where the holy water flows. In the 19th century, the Church that exists still today was built.
Name: Holy Monastery of Apostolos Andreas, in Rizokarpaso
Periphery: Karpasia
District: Ammochostos
Today’s condition: Occupied by the Turkish troops after invasion.
