Paphos Panayia Theoskepasti Church
Churches and monasteries are among the number of ancient sites that you can view on your holidays to Paphos. If you tire of spending your days at the beach or shopping in the town of Paphos there are a number of ancient sites that you can visit including the Panayia Theoskepasti Church.
The word Theoskepasti means veiled by God and this modern church built in 1923 is devoted to the Virgin Mary. According to ancient legends it is believed that God with his divine powers sent forth a veil of fog to protect the original church that stood on these grounds to protect the people of Paphos against the raid that were being forged by the Arabs.
Legend says that the fog that covered these grounds made it invisible and the Arabs that approached were unable to see it. This made it impossible for the church to be destroyed. The church that now occupies these grounds was built in1923 and it lies on a large rock that overlooks the whole of the kato Paphos area. From here you can view the whole of Paphos and the scenery is breath taking.
The modern day church is filled with excellent icons and splendid wood carved iconostasis. There is also a magnificent silver covered icon of the Virgin Mary which many hundreds of people come to pray to. It is said that this icon of the Virgin Mary is one of the seventy that were hand painted by the Evangelist Luce.
If religious icons are something that you are interested in then a trip to the Panayia Theoskepasti Church is something that is not to be missed. The location is peaceful and tranquil and a great escape from the bustling streets of Paphos town.
Religion is very prominent in Paphos and this can be seen in the large number of churches and monasteries that you can visit. All these churches and monasteries including the Panayia Theoskepasti Church are open daily to visitors. If you want to take time out from sitting by the beach and wish to indulge in some ancient history then a visit to Panayia Theoskepasti Church is well worth it.