Nestled amongst the Troodos Mountains lies the quaint and stunning town of Kakopetria. The environment is tranquil and inviting, and the winding roads, sleeping cats, and thriving agriculture adds to the serene feeling of the village. Throughout the walkways you find (and smell) a diverse set of citrus trees, herbs, and other plants, and the running water heard from the natural rivers and roadside canals builds the experience to involve all of your senses. The town’s center provides a more open and commercial setting with tendrils of houses and small shops climbing the mountainsides. Given the age and durability of the area, there are houses with mud bricks and cane roofs as well as more modern plaster and terracotta, but regardless of age there is no shortage of character and uniqueness between each and every building. Kakopetria is certain to bring anyone a sense of peace, but to fully gather the feel, one must visit for themself and see how they fit into the landscape.

It isn’t until we were about 30 meters away from Church of St. Nicholas of the Roofs that we could actually see the structure and understand its interesting name. In theory the second roof can be rationalized without having an understanding of the Church as it follows that the outer-most roof would be protecting the initial one from adverse weather and possible damage, but this rationalization is not full in its logic until you see inside of the ancient structure. The outside of the building is deceivingly plain compared to the colorful, detailed, and busy walls inside where there are floor to ceiling paintings–all with their own religious importance. This creativity and significance completes the argument for the second roof as it gives it something worth protecting. I was most curious and interested in Dimitra’s explanation of the damage to some of the 11th century paintings. We were told how certain paintings were done in the 11th century by the Byzantine Empire and then redone in the 14th century. Upon doing a refresh of the inside, workers found the older paintings underneath the most external layer, and over the course of 6 months the 14th century painting was removed and relocated to a museum in Nicosia, exposing the 11th century ones once more.