Restoration completed at Saint Barnabas monastery in Engomi

Restoration works at the historic Saint Barnabas monastery in Engomi, Famagusta, have officially concluded. Sotos Ktoris, the Greek Cypriot head of the Bicommunal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, announced that the project involved the preservation of 20th-century frescoes and an ornate carved iconostasis, alongside essential repairs and waterproofing of the roof to protect the structure from environmental decay.

The frescoes were created in the early 20th century by three brothers from Afania—monks named Chariton, Stephanos, and Barnabas. These artworks depict key ecclesiastical traditions, including the discovery of the Apostle Barnabas’s relics and their significance to the autocephaly of the Church of Cyprus. The project was co-funded by the European Union and executed under the supervision of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The monastery itself dates back to 488 AD and is named after the patron and founder of the Church of Cyprus, who was martyred in Salamis around 57 AD. The restoration represents a significant effort to preserve cultural heritage at this landmark site, which is associated with the early spread of Christianity on the island. The site remains a focus of ongoing cultural preservation efforts by the bicommunal committee.