Sacral monuments in the heart of Troodos: Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis
Located just a few kilometers southwest of the village of Kakopetria, Agios Nikolaos is built on the west bank of Karkotis river. In 1985, it was inscribed on the @unesco World Heritage List, along with 9 other painted Byzantine churches of the Troodos range. Recently, the entirely painted church has been described also as a museum of Byzantine #painting.
Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis
The church is the only surviving katholicon (monastery church) of an 11th century #Byzantine #monastery. The monastery flourished in the Middle Byzantine-Frankish period until the 19th century.
The church is a domed cross-in-square structure. The narthex was added on a later phase together with the steep-pitched roof (flat tile type) in order to protect the church from the weather. It is believed that the nickname of the Roof (tis Stegis) was given/used at least since the 13th century. The interior of the church is decorated with frescoes belonging to various periods, which cover a time span of over 600 years (11th-14th and 17th century).
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