Cyprus Mail 15 August 2022 - by Cyprus News Agency
Panagia Angeloktisti, a Byzantine church located in the village of Kiti, has submitted an application to become an Unesco monument of cultural heritage.
President of the Kiti Community Council Savvas Tantis told CNA that the Church, the name of which means “built by angels” was constructed in the 11th century on the ruins of an early Christian basilica from the 5th century.
According to popular tradition, due to the Arab raids, the inhabitants of ancient Kition moved to Kiti to escape and decided to built a church to the Virgin Mary.
The tradition says that the people noticed that the foundation of the church was moving during the night and that an army of angels came overnight to build the church, thus the name given to the church.
The mosaic of the Virgin Mary is one of the most significant early Christian wall mosaics and is the oldest preserved depiction of Virgin Mary standing and holding baby Jesus with her left arm. On the Virgin’s right is archangel Michael and on her left is archangel Gabriel.
The Church of Panagia Angeloktisti is under the supervision of the Department of Antiquities.
