Overview
Limassol’s Ayiou Andreou Street stretches along the towns sea front, providing a pleasurable walk along the ‘Molos’ area; an eye catching seaside park that stretches from the old port to the Limassol Zoo with direct access to the numerous restaurants, shops and cafes available for down time.
Yet in the heart of the Ayiou Andreou street, a stone’s throw away from the Limassol Marina, one will find the Ayia Napa Cathedral, a Limassol landmark built at the end of the 19th century, upon the ruins of an older Byzantine church. Although it carries the same name as the busiest and most well-known tourist districts of the island (Ayia Napa), the church has no relation to the town of Ayia Napa itself.
According to tradition, the church takes its name from an icon of the Virgin Mary, which was found in a glen (‘napa’ in Latin), and thus is dedicated to her. Other sources believe that the church owes its name to a temple built in the Frankish period, dedicated to the Holy Nappe of St. Berenice, known by the name of ‘Saint Nape’.
The present church – which was completed in 1906 – is three-aisled, with a marble iconostasis and frescoes mainly on the dome, and contains a silver-covered icon of Ayia Napa.
behind the Cathedral is Limassol’s Castle, another great place to get a feel of Cyprus’ many defensive buildings. Erected by the Lusignans during the crusades, recent excavations revealed both a byzantine fortress and a basilica in its foundations. The castle itself withstood attacks from the Genoese and the Mamluk Sultunate from Cairo before being ceded to the Ottomans during the 16th century. The castle eventually became a prison, and remained so until the 1950s. Today, Limassol’s Castle has a display of coins, weapons and pottery from different stages in the town’s history.
Note: The church is open all year round and is closed on public holidays. Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting. Entrance is free of charge.
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