Karpasia: Conservation works have been successfully completed at the Church of Ayia Photini (Photou) and the Holy Water Cave of Agiasma, at Agios Andronikos, Karpasia, and on Saturday, pilgrims are expected to flock there to celebrate the saint’s name day. The project belongs to the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, funded by the EU and implemented by UNDP.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the co-chair of the Committee, Sotos Ktoris, remarked that the completion of works at Agia Photou represents another step in their joint effort to protect cultural heritage. He emphasized that dozens of Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots worked collectively and with dedication to save an important monument of their homeland.
A UNDP press release highlighted the late-18th century church’s unique architectural features, including its stone barrel-vaulted roof and distinctive bell tower with a spiral stone staircase. During the interventions, the site and surface were cleaned, stoneworks and masonry consolidated, roof repairs and waterproofing were carried out, timber was conserved while the iconostasis and altar were preserved, the belltower and women’s gallery consolidated while conservation works at the Holy Water Cave included structural work and access improvements.
The Holy Water Cave is accessible via 23 narrow steps into a catacomb and includes a water well and carved recesses still used for candles and icons, preserving both spiritual and architectural heritage. Agia Photini is believed to heal eye diseases and is considered the patron saint of the village of Agios Andronikos.