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Kato Paphos Part 6 - Agia Kyriaki
Kato Paphos Part 6 - Agia Kyriaki
In Part 6 of our Tour of Kato Paphos we head inland to visit Agia Kyriaki and St Paul's Pillar. We also say hello to an old friend...
Read the article and chat about it below...
Read the article and chat about it below...
Web Designer / Developer. Currently working on Paphos Life.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
Re: Kato Paphos Part 6 - Agia Kyriaki
It’s hard to believe there was a parallel road and under it lay all those antiquities
Re: Kato Paphos Part 6 - Agia Kyriaki
More info from Paphos Chat:
Regarding the church of Agia Kyriaki itself, perhaps I could add a couple of notes? The second 'pulpit' you actually better identified as an ornate chair. This is where the Bishop would sit when he is present, so not actually a pulpit at all. On the real pulpit, this is usually where the Gospel would be read in the Greek Orthodox Church, so the figures painted on the side are likely to be the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. The church is actually a Greek Orthodox Church, or is at least owned by them. It is leased to the Roman Catholic Church however, and regular RC services are held there. The Roman Catholics in turn sub-let to the Anglican Church who hold a regular service every Sunday morning in English, for any readers who are interested. The fabric of the Orthodox Church remains of course - hence the iconostasis, or icon screen. The hand of the Virgin is likely to have received endless kisses of veneration over the years, and being painted, it is likely to have worn away over time. The metal covering is going to be to either protect the painted hand, or to cover up where it has actually gone already. Each of the icons on the screen in Orthodox use would have an oil lamp hanging in front of it. Those are suspended by ropes or chains from those eagles you see on top. Notice that there is a hole below each of the perches where the rope passes through. The ropes go through to the back where the priest would lower the lamps down for the oil to be refilled and for lighting them.
The modern altar in front of the screen is a Roman/Anglican addition as the central door of the icon screen (behind which will be the altar 'proper') is blocked off so it cannot be used by the non-Orthodox liturgically.
Regarding the church of Agia Kyriaki itself, perhaps I could add a couple of notes? The second 'pulpit' you actually better identified as an ornate chair. This is where the Bishop would sit when he is present, so not actually a pulpit at all. On the real pulpit, this is usually where the Gospel would be read in the Greek Orthodox Church, so the figures painted on the side are likely to be the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. The church is actually a Greek Orthodox Church, or is at least owned by them. It is leased to the Roman Catholic Church however, and regular RC services are held there. The Roman Catholics in turn sub-let to the Anglican Church who hold a regular service every Sunday morning in English, for any readers who are interested. The fabric of the Orthodox Church remains of course - hence the iconostasis, or icon screen. The hand of the Virgin is likely to have received endless kisses of veneration over the years, and being painted, it is likely to have worn away over time. The metal covering is going to be to either protect the painted hand, or to cover up where it has actually gone already. Each of the icons on the screen in Orthodox use would have an oil lamp hanging in front of it. Those are suspended by ropes or chains from those eagles you see on top. Notice that there is a hole below each of the perches where the rope passes through. The ropes go through to the back where the priest would lower the lamps down for the oil to be refilled and for lighting them.
The modern altar in front of the screen is a Roman/Anglican addition as the central door of the icon screen (behind which will be the altar 'proper') is blocked off so it cannot be used by the non-Orthodox liturgically.
Web Designer / Developer. Currently working on Paphos Life.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
