CHURCHES / CHAPELS
The
central church of he Statos - Agios Photios community is dedicated
to Christ the Saviour. Its construction started
in 1970 when the village relocated and the presence of a new Church
in the Community was necessary. The operations for the church were
completed in 1976. It was built with expenses paid by the state
and was internally decorated through many donations.
The Church (with three aisles and a dome) of the
Statos - Agios Photios community was built amongst the small houses
of the village, close to the school. It can comfortably host up
to 500 faithful. Externally it has a large, asphalt-paved yard.
It is made of local stone and has the so-called "louki"
(trough, water spout) design. That is, the decorative stone slabs
start from way low and all around the temple (1st row), sized 15X15
cm, then comes the next row with larger proportions and it goes
on until it externally covers the entire church with slabs of larger
size.
The
steeple is made of stone, very tall and proud, adjacent to the rest
of the building and with three electronic bells. Internally, the
church's floor is covered with marble (from Penteli). The entire
temple is covered with hagiographies. Above the chancel there is
the representation of "Panagia I Platytera" (referring
to the Blessed Virgin Mary) and many other saints. The representations
make their presence everywhere, even in the dome there is the scene
of the "Pantokratoras" (the Almighty). The known Cypriot
hagiographer Kallinikos and also some other Greek professionals
have worked on the hagiographies. Also, Georgios Constantinidis,
who was a teacher but also does some Hagiography, also worked on
them. Georgios Constantinidis was a native of Statos.
The church's icon screen, which is woodcut and made
out of oak wood, has a very strong presence. The added icons surround
and complete its strong presence in the temple. The rich and qualitative
outfit in the church has made the community feel and be talking
with pride for such a special -in the way it is constructed -church.
The Saviour's dedicated icon is at a separate kneeling-desk to the
left of the icon screen. During the Saint's Day on the 6th of August,
his holy icon is placed on display for the people to kneel before
it and a big fair takes place.
Country church of St George in the old village
of Agios Photios
"Agios
Georgios" is a very old, small church for which we do not have
any information reporting on when exactly it was constructed. It
is built at the centre of the old village Agios Photios. A small
church that is built close to the village's old elementary school.
However, it was fit to drop and abandoned. It did not last long.
About 7 years ago (around 1977) it was demolished. Still, the villagers
themselves took an initiative so that the oblation to St George
would not be lost and the old, nearby, stone-made school was turned
into a church. A small, flat, little church with all the necessary
utilities for a church, normally functioning as a petit and austere
country church dedicated to St George. A liturgy takes place on
the 23rd of April.
"Agios Fotios kai Anikitos" country
church in the old village of Agios Photios
The
church dedicated to St Photios "kai Anikitos" is built
amongst the little houses of the old Agios Photios community. From
information that we have gathered, it seems that a long time ago
an earlier church was demolished -something that the remains of
this old church testify -and the new church that exists today was
constructed exactly on that same location. It is a small country
church made with common local stones and having a tiled roof. The
woodcut icon screen is present, as well as the only existing wooden
psalter along with very few seats. It can host up to 200 faithful.
It is a flat. little church with a marble floor. It is officiated
twice a year. On the 12th of August and on Easter.
"Agios Zinovios kai Agia Zinovia"
country church in the old village Statos
Southwest
of the old Statos village, the country church of St Zinovios and
St Zinovia was constructed in 1840. According to tradition, the
two saints were brothers. Saint Zinovios was a miracle-making physician
and could heal many patients suffering mentally or physically. The
martyred for Christendom and were persecuted. The country church
stands in the midst of the old village's little houses, which have
now been abandoned. It is externally made with stone and it is surrounded
by a large, paved yard with a short fenced wall. Its steeple, which
is a specimen of old architecture, is made with hewed stone. Internally
there are two characteristic arches, starting from the roof with
a cone-like shape and ending at the middle of the church's height.
The icon screen is woodcut, although characterised by its very old
style of cutting. The added icons complete the church's wealth.
It has two woodcut psalters, as well as the priest's throne.
The women's loft is a wooden structure of a semicircular
shape. With expenses paid by the Holy Monastery of Kykkos, several
repairs were done to the country church about 5 years ago. It has
a capacity of around 200 faithful. The dedicates, wooden icon of
the Saints is on the right of the icon screen, on a stone-made showcase
placed upon the wall. During the Saints' Day on the 30th of October,
their Holy icon is put on display for adoration.
"Agios Varnavas" country church
in the old village Statos
On
a mountainside and above a water spring, east of the old Statos
village, the country church of Saint Varvara is built. It seems
that the church was reconstructed in 1921. It is a small country
church of the normal square design with a tiled roof. It is whitewashed
both internally and externally. The icon screen of the church is
made of marble and with the icons of the saints added. It has two
gates, the (central) Bema Door and the left gate. Although small,
it can comfortably host 150 faithful. Also present are the priest's
throne and the wooden psalters. The dedicated icon of St Varvara
dates back to the 18th century and it is placed on a special icon
screen. A liturgy takes place in the church twice a year. During
the Saint's day on the 4th of December and on Easter.
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