Apostolos Andreas Monastery
The monastery Apostolos Andreas (Greek: Απόστολος Ανδρέας, Turkish: Apostolos Andreas Manastırı, German: Apostel Andreas) is located at the northeastern point of the Karpas Peninsula in Cyprus and belongs politically to the municipality of Rizokarpaso (Greek Ριζοazάρπασο, Turkish).
The monastery is one of the most important pilgrimage sites of the Cypriot Orthodox Church and was internationally known as the Lourdes of Cyprus . The residents were divided into two groups: on the one hand the monks permanently living there and on the other hand priests and lay brothers who were guests for a certain period of time. Up until 1974 there was a lively rush of visitors who, in addition to the monastery, also visited the St. Andrew's spring at the foot of the building. Besides the Greeks, the Turks also consider the spring to be a sacred place.
history
Founding legend, Orthodox pilgrimage site
According to a legend common in Cyprus, the monastery was built on the spot where the apostle Andrew was shipwrecked on his journey to Asia Minor , at today's Cape Apostolos Andreas . After everyone had been able to save themselves on land, Andreas hit a rock with his stick and a spring opened and supplied the castaways with drinking water. The water had healing powers and when the captain of the ship moistened his blind eye with it, he could see again. Another version tells that Andreas prophesied to the captain that he should go ashore there and he would be able to make his blind eye see again.
Over the centuries the spring developed into a place of pilgrimage and by the 12th century at the latest there was a fortified monastery (date of origin unknown), as Richard the Lionheart here accepted the surrender of Isaac Komnenos , the last Byzantine ruler of Cyprus, who became independent in 1185 had made. From this first monastery, however, no structural fabric has survived.
Replaced by a Catholic chapel (15th century), again an Orthodox church (16th century)
In the 15th century a Gothic Catholic chapel was built, which was donated by a Franconian nobleman. Today it is three meters below the main church. It is small and dark, in the middle a central vault support supports the cross vault . The spring, which used to spring in a corner, was placed outside by means of a pipe in modern times. After the Ottoman conquest, the chapel was converted into an Orthodox church.
New building (1865–67), place of pilgrimage (from 1895)
The current church and the monastery buildings date from the years 1865 to 1867 and were built under the oikonomos ("property manager"; ie head of the monastery) Papa Ioannis.
The pilgrimage to the monastery received a big boost in 1895: the thirteen-year-old Pantelis, son of Maria Georgiou, a Greek woman who lived in Antalya , was kidnapped, and it was not until 1912 that Mary the Apostle Andreas appeared in a dream and ordered her to live in his monastery To pray Cyprus for the return of their still missing son. During the crossing to Cyprus, the mother told the passengers her story and one of them asked her if her son had certain birthmarks by which she could recognize him. She described these and the young man took off his clothes and had these characteristics.
Interruption of pilgrimages (1974-2003)
In 1974 the pilgrimages were interrupted by the invasion of the Turkish army . Most of the Cypriot Greeks had to flee, only a small minority in Rizokarpaso was allowed to stay.
Since April 2003 the border has been open again for Greek Cypriots and pilgrimages have been resumed. In 2008, St. Andrew's Monastery was added to the list of projects of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The US government provided five million dollars for this. However, the Orthodox Church refused to cooperate, as it appears in the records only as a beneficiary and not as the owner . The internationally not recognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has also considered itself to be the owner since 1974.
In January 2013, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus provided five million euros for the restoration of the monastery under the guidance of international experts. However, the head of the Cypriot Church, Archbishop Chrysostomos II , said he would rather let the monastery fall into disrepair than have the Turks renovate it. Nevertheless, work began. The work envisaged three stages, namely the repair of the outbuildings, the construction of walls and paths, the planting of 8,000 trees and finally the restoration of the Gothic chapel.
State in November 2009
State in April 2010
State in May 2011
The monastery during restoration work, October 2014
State in April 2015 (?)
Condition in April 2017
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Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ WH Rudt de Collenberg: L'Empereur Isaac de Chypre et sa fille (1155-1207) . In: Byzantion 38, Paris 1968.
- ↑ Andrew Monastery , Travel Guide to Northern Cyprus.
- ↑ “We are not donors - we are owners”: says Archbishop , LGC News. Online News for North Cyprus, January 11, 2013.
Coordinates: 35 ° 39 ′ 33.6 " N , 34 ° 34 ′ 26.2" E