St. Mamas Church in Güzelyurt is the oldest icon of Northern Cyprus. Jesus Icon and Michael Fresk attract great attention from tourists

IT IS BELİEVED THAT BLESSED OLIVE OIL IS HEALING...Gothic features were added to the Franco-Byzantine church. The bell tower attached to the north-west end of the structure and the porches surrounding the west and north belong to the beginning of the 20th century.

The Apse Section on the east is separated by an iconastasis decorated with icons. Half of the Mamas Church, north of the St. Mamas Church, has blessed olive oil in a hole covered with a wooden lid in the sarcophagus, half of which can be seen from the inside. It is believed that this oil comes to healing where it is applied.

Ahmet İLKTAÇ

With its historical buildings, sea, sand and sun, Saint Mamas Church and Icon Museum in Guzelyurt district of Northern Cyprus, which has significant tourism potential, fascinates its visitors.

The history of the St. Mamas Church shows that it has a long architectural history. It is known in the history that there was a temple dedicated to Astarte in the place of the church, a small church was built on the temple during the Byzantine Period, and the church was built in the 16th century in yellow stone and it was reorganised in the 18th century and a dome was added.

Gothic features were added to the Franco-Byzantine church. The structure, which consists of three naves, is indicated by a dome in the middle nave. In the east there is an apse covered with a half-round dome.

The bell tower attached to the north-west end of the structure, and the porch surrounding the west and north belongs to the beginning of the 20th century. The Apse Section on the east is separated by an iconastasis decorated with icons.

The marble lower part of the iconastasis is decorated with figs, grapes, acorn figures and Venetian shields, which once carried coloured coat of arms. The painted upper part made of wood is one of the unique examples of the 16th century carving art.

Half of the Mamas Church, north of the St. Mamas Church, has blessed olive oil in a hole covered with a wooden lid in the sarcophagus, half of which can be seen from the inside. It is believed that this oil comes to healing where it is applied. Again in the church, the Jesus icon is said to be the oldest icon in Northern Cyprus.

The church also features a giant Michail fresco, one of the most beautiful frescoes on the island. It was learned that the magnificent chandeliers of the church were brought from Czechoslovakia in the 1950s.

After 1974, the church was used as an Icon Museum and in recent years, the Cypriot Greek Orthodox rituals began to be held again. There will be a ceremony to commemorate the church's name day with the participation of thousands of Orthodox.

The legend of St. Mamas

St. Mamas is believed to be a young monk who lived in the mountains during the Byzantine period. According to belief; The Duke of Byzantium of the time wanted to get tax from him but he did not want to give tax because he lived in caves in the mountains, did not benefit from any public goods and did not participate in social life. Then the Duke sent his soldiers to capture Mamas, while the soldiers brought Mamas to the city to be punished, there was a lion in the jungle that led them to eat a lamb.

Mamas stopped the lion in one sweep and leaned in front of him, and took the lamb and went in front of the Duke, riding on the lion. When the Duke saw tthis, he was very impressed with Mamas and exempted him from his tax until his death. It is also known that many historians made different interpretations of St. Mamas.