Ancient Georgian monastery complex rebuilt in Cyprus

A Georgian Orthodox monastery complex is earmarked to be built in Cyprus allowing Georgian parish living on the island the possibility to attend services by Georgian priests.

Georgia’s Orthodox Church has reportedly received a plot of land in Cyprus, the third largest island in the Mediterranean.

On this site stands the remains of a desolate, abandoned building, which once used to be a Georgian monastery. The facility will soon be returned to its former glory, a church official said.

Archpriest Giorgi Zviadadze announced a monastery complex will built in a Ghalia, in the city of Paphos.

"The Archbishop of Cyprus, which has great love and respect for our country, our people and our Patriarch, handed over a piece of land to the Georgian Orthodox Church. A monastery complex will be built there and church service will be performed in Georgian," father Giorgi Zviadaze said.

A Georgian team of archaeologists began excavating the site in 2006. Work continued until 2010 in collaboration with archaeologists of the Cyprus Department of Antiquities Protection.

Despite being in a fragile state, the remains of the Georgian monastery are a special place. The monastery dated back to the 10^thCentury and was founded by Georgian King David III (963-1001 AD).

In its time the monastery was very affluent, was protected by Georgian Kings and was mentioned in medieval Georgian, Greek and Latin scriptures.

Between the 10th and 15th Centuries the monastery had a Manuscript Division, where books were written and translated from Greek to Georgian.

Meanwhile the decision to gift Georgia the land to rebuild the monastery was made today during the visit of Georgian Patriarch Ilia II to Cyprus. The religious leader was invited by the Archbishop of Cyprus Krizostomos II.