The Monastery of Panagia (Virgin Mary) Amasgou is built on a small hill in the village of Monagri located in the district of Limassol, near the Limassol – Troodos road, at the riverside of Kourris River. The name of the Monastery is an unusual and somewhat strange name for the Virgin, which has so far not been given any documented explanation. Some authors assume that this comes from the Virgin Mary of Damascus (Amaskou – Amasgou). These assumptions, however, remain just assumptions, since they don’t relate to events or even a tradition to justify this name.
It is not known when the Monastery was founded, nor who its founder is. Its history is placed around 1000 AD, which was the golden age of monasticism in Cyprus and the Cyprus School of Byzantine iconography. From the ancient buildings only the monastery church survives, but with great damages, especially to its exquisite art paintings dating from the 11th to the 16th century.
The history of the Monastery is very dark. In 1630 the then Bishop of Limassol and Curium Leontius donated the Monastery to the Patriarchate of Alexandria. Two years later the then Patriarch of Alexandria Gerasimus returned it to the Bishopric of Limassol because its management was economically unprofitable. The Monastery functioned as a men’s monastery. The sole known abbot of the Monastery, who also seems to have been its last, is Gerasimus, and its last monk was the Bishop of Kition, Meletios, who fled to the Monastery due to slander from which he suffered. He lived there until 1870.
During the late 18th century the Monastery was without monks, and thus it was shut down. It is known that the Monastery had large real estate assets, which were sold through the period between 1950 to 1973. However, despite its abandonment, many people resorted to the considered as been miraculous Virgin Mary of Amasgou or Damascus or Chrysamaskous. The icon of the Virgin the Amasgiotissa, which on its other side it has the Crucifixion painted on it, is a work of the year 1569. Maintenance work of the Monastery began during the decade of 60’s without spectacular results, while from 1969 to 1972 more concerted efforts were made by the Department of Antiquities and the University of Harvard for the preservation of the frescoes that are considered to be of high art value.
In 1991 the Monastery was reestablished and reopened as a female cenobitic monastery consisting of 10 nuns with Sister Epiphania as the Abbess. The Monastery was restored in a exemplary manner and new buildings were added along with three chapels. In a distance of about two kilometers, the sanctuary retreat in the name of Martyr Saint Ioannis Monagritis, near the cave where he lived and practiced an ascetic life, was rebuild .
The Monastery of Panagia Amasgou celebrates on November 21 (Presentation of the Virgin), on Easter Tuesday, on December 6 (St. Nicholas) and on June 4, in honour of Martyr Saint Ioannis Monagritis.
Source: noctoc-noctoc.blogspot.com
District: Limassol
Postal Address: The Monastery Amasgous PC 4746 Monagri
Accreditation: Metropolis Limassol
Operation Period: All year except Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays. The month of August is open daily.
Hours: Winter Hours Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 05:00 to 12:00 and 15:00 to 18:00 Summer Hours Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 05:00 to 12:00 and 16:00 to 18:30
Facilities: Parking is available. The monastery and the church is accessible for people in wheelchairs. There are restrooms but no for people in wheelchairs. There is a small booklet about the history of the monastery and the request of Our Lady which costs 3 euros. There’s even a guide of the monastery cost 10 euros. There is a shop where visitors have the opportunity to buy various souvenirs books, pictures ropes, cd, crosses and traditional products which make the nuns as trahana with sourdough buns, pastries, jams, yogurt, etc. All transactions with cash and checks.
Website / Email: – / amasgou@cytanet.com.cy
Telephone / Fax: 00357-25434342 / 00357-25434282
Admission Fee: Free. Accepted voluntary contributions.
Supply Fee: –
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