ONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL CHURCHES IN THE WORLD
AN UNUSUAL LANDMARK
This chapel, which is located approximately 4 km from the coastal resort of Protaras, in the district of Famagusta, is unlike most other Greek Orthodox places of worship on the island. The small chapel of Ayioi Saranta is uniquely etched into an elevated rock face inside a small cave. This means that this unusual landmark dominates the local landscape in several ways.
DEDICATED TO THE FORTY MARTYRS OF SEBASTE
The chapel’s name derives from the Greek word for ‘forty saints’. It is dedicated to the forty Christian martyrs of Sebaste, which can be found in present-day Turkey. These Christians refused to surrender their faith and their hopeless position in Sebaste to the Roman Emperor Licinius in the year 320. All forty of them were later martyred, and the forty stalactites in the church’s ceiling symbolise each one of them.
A PROFOUND SENSE OF PEACE
The chapel is simple in design, consisting of a single dome made of stone. A white washed wall, crowned by a white cross also dominates the entrance. Its interior is very simple, and only a few icons flank the modest altar found at its centre. The interior uses natural sunlight, and this, along with the glow of burning candles, helps to exude a profound sense of peace and serenity. this helps to create an ambience of quiet reflection. The chapel also offers visitors a stunning panoramic view of the coast of Paralimni and Cape Greco.
