Kiti - Church of the Madonna Built by Angels Attractions Panayía Angelóktistos
Two km/1.25mi southwest of Larnaca, in the village of Kiti, is the Church of the Panayía Angeloktistos, with beautiful early Byzantine mosaics (sixth century).
This beautiful 11th century Byzantine church was erected over the ruins of an early Christian basilica. The original apse survived together with one of the finest pieces of Byzantine art, a rare sixth century mosaic of the Virgin Mary and Child between the two archangels (Michael and Gabriel), which rivals the Ravenna Mosaics.
The Virgin is standing on a footstool with Christ in her left arm. It is an extremely delicate design and much more naturalistic in style than other contemporary paintings.
This has puzzled many Byzantine scholars and they have been unable to determine exactly when it was painted, although there is a consensus that it belongs to the sixth century.
A small chapel attached to the north end of the church has some good 15th century paintings, including one of St George.
In the village is a bridge which was once part of a medieval castle destroyed by the Arabs.
The village is becoming a tourist center and has several shops, banks and cafes.
This beautiful 11th century Byzantine church was erected over the ruins of an early Christian basilica. The original apse survived together with one of the finest pieces of Byzantine art, a rare sixth century mosaic of the Virgin Mary and Child between the two archangels (Michael and Gabriel), which rivals the Ravenna Mosaics.
The Virgin is standing on a footstool with Christ in her left arm. It is an extremely delicate design and much more naturalistic in style than other contemporary paintings.
This has puzzled many Byzantine scholars and they have been unable to determine exactly when it was painted, although there is a consensus that it belongs to the sixth century.
A small chapel attached to the north end of the church has some good 15th century paintings, including one of St George.
In the village is a bridge which was once part of a medieval castle destroyed by the Arabs.
The village is becoming a tourist center and has several shops, banks and cafes.
