Two historic religious monuments restored in Cyprus

On Friday, October 23, 2026, two significant religious monuments in the northern part of Cyprus were officially handed over following extensive conservation work. The sites include the 12th-century Monastery of Panayia Apsinthiotissa, located 750 meters up in the Pentadaktylos mountain range near Sychari, and the 10th-century Church of Ayios Prokopios in Synkrasi. In addition to the church restoration, a mural was preserved, and the adjacent cemetery was cleaned with new crosses placed on the graves.

The project was carried out by the bicommunal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, supported by the United Nations Development Programme and funded by the European Commission. To date, the committee has restored over 210 religious monuments and approximately 70 cemeteries across the island, representing various faiths. Co-chairs Sotos Ktoris and Ali Tuncay emphasized that these initiatives serve as a symbol of cooperation and trust, viewing the sites as part of a shared cultural heritage rather than a source of conflict.