In the olden days, there was a ship carrying the Queen of Egypt to Cyprus, looking for a doctor that would cure her from continuous bleeding that tortured her and it embarked on the shores of Larnaca.
The Queen along with her men, moved forward to the city and they reached the location where the chapel dedicated to Panagia Aimatousa or Panagia Ampelion was found, northwest of the village of Aradippou.
The Queen, being tired, sat on a big rock that was found next to the chapel, to have a rest. She immediately realised that her bleeding stopped. She then commanded her attendants to take her to a source of water so that she could clean herself. While looking for water, they reached the village of Avdellero, where next to the small torrent, on the base of a rock with a height of a few metres, gushed a source of clean, cold water.
Years went by and a lot later two icons of the Virgin were found in the village of Aradippou. One of them was placed in the chapel of Panagia Aimatousa in Aradippou and the other on in the Holy Church of Panagia Aimatousa in Avdellero.
On the next day, the worshippers realised that the icon that was in the Church in Avdellero was lost. Days later, a shepherd found it in a recess of the rock from the base of which a small source of water gushed and it was the source from which the Queen got water to clean herself.
He got the icon and took it to the village and it was put back into its place. On the next day, the icon was lost again. It was found in the same recess. This went on for a very long time and the icon was found either in the recess of the rock, or in the chapel of Panagia Aimatousa in Aradippou. Upon searching for the tradition of the village, they found out about the story with the Egyptian Queen and her cure thanks to the Virgin. They realised that the water from that source was not common water, it was holy.
After they went on to embellishing the village and performed a liturgy they put another icon of the Virgin in the recess of the rock and the initial one was put in the Church of the village. After that the icon did not “leave” the church, neither does it exist today. It is said that someone stole it. Was it stolen? Or is it found elsewhere and is waiting to be found by someone?
There are personal witnesses that the Holy Water of Panagia Aimatousa performs miracles. It is a small, artificial cave, from the depth of which the Holy Water wells out and along with the small chapel built recently, it receives dozens of worshippers.
The Holy Water of Panagia Aimatousa is found next to the bed of the small torrent northwest of the village of Avdellero. If you are travelling from Athienou to Avdellero, enter the village and take the very first turn on your left, that will take you there. In about 200 metres you will reach an intersection and if you go right you will end up in the centre of the village and if you go left you will reach the fields. Ten metres from the intersection, you will see the entrance that will take you to the Holy Water on your left. Before leaving this area, remember to close the gate behind you so as to avoid that stray cats and dogs or other animals seeking water get in.
