Today, we visited the Troodos Mountains, which were about an hour from our hotel in Nicosia. There, we visited the old town of Kakopetria as well as the St. Nicholas of the Roof Church. Kakopetria is nestled towards the top of the Troodos Mountains and overlooks many of the villages below. Its streets are lined with small houses, each right next to each other; they are mostly made of stone. The people of the old town of Kakopetria were known for their olive oil and wine production. We were able to visit the local museum where we saw the machines the locals used to make their precious olive oil, which was a staple in their diet. We also saw the small river that runs through the town. For nature lovers, there is a hiking trail around the river, which is pictured in my featured image. Another significant part of Kakopetria was the plants. There were citrus trees, carob trees, and herb bushes. For example, there were orange trees and the famous Cyprus tree. As our guide explained, the area around the Troodos Mountains is famous for their citrus production. As part of our tour of Kakopetria, we also were able to see the most famous hotel and restaurant in the area. The restaurant, located on the top floor, is famous for its Trout dishes. For lunch, we ate at a local tavern and were served authentic food.
We also visited the St. Nicholas of the Roof Church, which was also situated in the Troodos Mountains, similarly overlooking the villages below. This Byzantine Church was given the “of the Roof” title because it originally did not have one but was given one to protect the domes. From the outside, the church was rather unassuming. Once we walked in, however, we were able to see stunning frescos that adorned every wall as well as the domes. The religious leaders used the technique called frescos in order for the paint to last for centuries. They also thought that if they used frescos, anyone could go into the church and identify and understand the biblical stories. The most important fresco is in one dome of the church. It depicts Jesus Christ surrounded by his angels and the prophets. The side walls of the church show the life of Jesus and his saints. The pictures are painted from the Earth (ground) to heaven (ceiling). The donors who funded the frescoes are also painted on the walls. Interestingly, you can actually see the clothes they were wearing at the time they gave their donation. The 11th century artwork is different from other biblical artwork from that time because it is two-dimensional rather than three-dimensional. This choice was made to emphasize that the soul is what matters and not one’s appearance. Another difference between this church compared to others was that the Byzantine decided to cut holes in the dome in order to eliminate any echo.