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Panagia tou Kykkou (Kykkos Monastery) Description: Kykkos Monastery, which is located 20km (12 miles) west of Pedoulas village in the Kykkos Mountains, is the largest and most famous monastery in Cyprus. Founded in AD 1100 by the Byzantine emperor Alexios Komnenos, the monastery is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is home to one of the three surviving icons painted by the Apostle Luke. According to legend, the hermit Isaias asked the Byzantine governor Doux Manuel Voutoumites to bring the icon of the Virgin Mary from Constantinople to Cyprus in return for curing his daughter of a mysterious illness. The Emperor Alexios Komnenos finally agreed to this, despite originally intending to send a copy of the icon, as the Virgin Mary supposedly appeared to him in a dream expressing her desire for the original to be brought to Cyprus. Kykkos Monastery is ornately decorated and covered in a silver gilt, enclosed in a tortoiseshell shrine. It is also famous for its museum, located within the monastery grounds, which houses an impressive collection of icons, woodcarvings and manuscripts, and other Cypriot antiquities. The nearby Troodos Mountains, with magnificent hills and valleys, should also be explored as they are home to nine Byzantine churches, included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and richly decorated with murals and Byzantine paintings. Contact Addresses: Kykkos Monastery, PO Box 24850, 1304 Nicosia, Cyprus Tel: (02) 942 736 (museum) or 590 768 (office). Fax: (02) 351 852. Transportation: Air: Paphos International Airport. Road: Car: Road to Pedoulas which leads to Kykkos (from Troodos); road north towards Platres, past Pedoulas to Kykkos (from Limassol); towards Limassol, then northeast past Kedares to Platres (from Paphos). The monastery is well-signposted. Opening Times: Monastery: Daily dawn-dusk. Museum: Daily 1000-1600 (Nov-May); daily 1000-1800 (Jun-Oct). Admission Fees: Monastery: Free. Museum: C£1.50. Concessions available for groups. 
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