Church of St. Nicholas of the Roof

Welcome to the peaceful and historic mountain village of Kakopetria, beautifully nestled within the lush pine forests of the Troodos Range on the island of Cyprus. Standing before you is the Church of Saint Nicholas of the Roof,…

The most astonishing and surprising architectural truth of this monument is that it actually conceals two entirely separate structures in one, hiding a complete domed Byzantine church inside a massive timber outer shell. When you…

The surprising architectural secret of this entrance hall is that the narthex space where you are currently standing was not part of the original eleventh century church design at all. Originally, this western entry area was an…

The most astonishing structural reality of this central space is that beneath its humble wooden roof lies a textbook example of Middle Byzantine domed cross in square architecture resting on four massive masonry piers. When you…

The surprising historic reality surrounding these military murals is that although they were created during the fourteenth century, a period of intense Western Latin and Frankish feudal rule over Cyprus, they stubbornly preserved…

The most extraordinary historic revelation of this sanctuary apse is that beneath multiple later layers of plaster and medieval repainting, archaeologists uncovered preserved original eleventh century frescoes. Throughout…

Our journey through the Church of Saint Nicholas of the Roof now comes to a reflective conclusion. Today, within this intimate mountain sanctuary hidden in the valleys of the Troodos range, we have witnessed an extraordinary…