South of the Mazotos village of Larnaca, on a small hill next to the shore, where in the ancient times was the famous Temple dedicated to the Goddess of beauty, the Cypriot Aphrodite, there is a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady. It was called “Panagia Petounta” because, as the settlers say, Our Lady came flying and sat on the small hill.
On the spot where her feet touched the ground, there is a small source of sweet water. The source exists still today and when the flow of water increases, it creates a small lake in the area, transforming the place into a unique wetland, for a few months.
In the Roman period, there was a small Roman city on the hill. Up until a few years ago, there were still ruins of the walls, as well as tomb remains.
The small chapel is found in a bad condition even though we were told by the community council that it is being conserved, it is on the verge of collapse. You will notice this on the photographs.
On the peak of the hill, that is only about a hundred metres from a beautiful beach, with the sea being the background, a new Church was built, also dedicated to Panagia Petounta.
Watch the video of our visit:
