Overview

Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis (literally, Saint Nicholas of the Roof), located close to the mountainous Kakopetria village, is the only thing remaining from an old monastery. As evidenced by the church itself, the monastery was established in the 11th century. However, we have no other information about it. The ceramic (brick and tile) decor of the church associates it with Constantinople and the Greek region in general. This monastic enclave appears to have thrived during both the Middle Byzantine period and the era of Frankish rule, evident in the recurrent embellishment of the church with frescoes and the grandiose icon of St. Nicholas, generously donated by a Frankish Knight in the late 13th century. Nevertheless, the monastery's fortunes waned by the 17th century and eventually dissipated by the century's end. When in 1735 the Russian monk Basil Barsky visited it, he met some monks there too. Later on, the estates of the monastery were leased to clergymen and by the end of the 19 th century to laymen. UNESCO has included the church of "St Nicholas of the Roof" in the list of Worldwide Cultural heritage, because of its special value.