Agios Ioannis Lampadistis Monastery - Kalopanayiotis

Agios Ioannis Lampadistis or Saint John Lampadistis Monastery is situated in the village of Kalopanayiotis , built on the east side of the Setrachos river in the valley of Marathasa.

During 1985, Unesco listed the monastery along with eight other chapels that are located on the Troodos range in the world heritage list. The Saint John Lampadistis Monastery is considered as one of the most interesting byzantine sites of Cyprus.

The monastery has preserved to this day amazing samples of various trends of the Byzantine and post-Byzantine monumental art, from the 11th to the 19th century.

The founding date of Agios Ioannis Lampadistis Monastery is actually not known. Dated to the 11th century, the kaholicon (monastery church) is dedicated to Saint Herakleidios. In addition, dated to the 15th century along the wall-paintings of the narthex there is an inscription describing the church katholiki. The monastery was functioning until the beginning of the 19th century and since then it was used as a church.

Today, the buildings which survive is due to the fact that constructions and renovations have applied to them.