Overview
Nestled in the middle of a burgeoning forest near the calming sounds of a flowing stream stands the church of Panayia Asinou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The church’s interior overflows with Byzantine-style paintings that span five centuries.
The wall paintings that cover the whole interior of the church have all been dated from the twelfth to the seventeenth centuries, reflecting the art of Constantinople (now Istanbul).
Originally built in 1099 as a monastery church, it functioned continuously until the end of the eighteenth century, when it was abandoned.
The church consists of two parts: the vaulted single-aisled nave and the narthex, which is a later addition dated to the second half of the twelfth century. The twelfth-century steep-pitched timber roof, covered with flat tiles, sheltered the church. Today, there are no traces of the rest of the monastic buildings.
The entrance to the church is free of charge and it is wheelchair accessible.
