Kykkos Monastery

Kykkos

Κύκκος
Kykkos Monastery
Location within Cyprus
Monastery information
Full name	The Holy, Royal and Stavropegic Monastery of Kykkos
Order	Orthodox monasticism
Established	11th century
Dedicated to	Virgin Mary
Celebration date	August 15, September 8
Diocese	Church of Cyprus
Controlled churches	Metochi Kykkou
People
Founder(s)	Alexios I Komnenos
Prior	Nikiphoros, Metropolitan of Kykkos and Tylliria
Architecture
Style	Byzantine
Site
Location	Troodos, Paphos District
Country	Cyprus
Coordinates	34°59′02″N 32°44′28″E / 34.984°N 32.741°E / 34.984; 32.741

Kykkos Monastery (Greek: Ιερά Μονή Κύκκου or Κύκκος [locally [ˈt͡ʃikʰos]] for short, Turkish: Cikko Manastırı), which lies 20 km west of Pedoulas, is one of the wealthiest and best-known monasteries in Cyprus.

The Holy Monastery of the Virgin of Kykkos was founded around the end of the 11th century^[1] by the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos (1081–1118). The monastery lies at an altitude of 1318 meters on the north west face of Troödos Mountains. There are no remains of the original monastery as it was burned down many times. The first President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III started his ecclesiastical career there as a monk in 1926.^[2] He remained fond of the place and returned there many times. His request to be buried there materialised after his death in 1977. His tomb lies 3 km west of Kykkos monastery and remains a popular visitor destination.^[3]