Machairas Monastery
A 12th-century monastery on the pine-clad slopes of the Machairas forest, about 40 km from Nicosia, with mountain views and deep historical roots.
Photo: Maxeras / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Machairas Monastery was founded in the 12th century around an icon of the Virgin found, tradition says, in a cave guarded by a knife, "machaira" in Greek. Rebuilt after a fire in the late 19th century, it sits at about 870 m with views over wooded hills.
Nearby is the hideout where EOKA fighter Grigoris Afxentiou died in 1957, now a memorial. The surrounding forest has walking trails and picnic sites.
Good to know
It is an active monastery. Respect quiet hours and dress modestly.
Perks nearby
No partner within 10 km yet. Partners join through the year, and this page updates as they do.
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