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Το κατεχόμενο χωριό ( δήμος) Λευκόνοικο της επαρχίας Αμμοχώστου - Leukoniko village
All about Cyprus - Όλα για την Κύπρο
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in English
Κείμενο:
Γιώργος Κωνσταντίνου
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In the occupied town of Lefkoniko, in the Famagusta District of Cyprus, in the old neighbourhood traditionally known as Kato Mahallas (Lower Quarter), stands the Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour, known affectionately to the people of Lefkoniko simply as “Sotiras” – the Saviour.
Before 1974, the church was one of the important centres of religious life in the town. Although smaller than the imposing Church of Archangel Michael in the upper quarter, historical references describe the Church of the Transfiguration as a small but beautifully decorated place of worship, closely connected with the families and traditions of the lower parish of Lefkoniko.
Its importance, however, extends beyond the religious memories of the displaced inhabitants. Its architecture preserves characteristic elements of traditional Cypriot ecclesiastical building, while its condition following the events of 1974 has been officially documented in a specialised study by the Holy Metropolis of Constantia and Famagusta.
The Church in Kato Mahallas
The Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour stood in the Kato Mahallas, the Lower Quarter of Lefkoniko.
Every year the church celebrated its feast day on 6 August, when the Orthodox Church commemorates the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ.
Before 1974, Vespers were celebrated on the eve of the feast, followed by the Divine Liturgy on the morning of 6 August.
The feast formed part of the annual religious cycle of the people of Lefkoniko and connected the church with the personal and family memories of generations of inhabitants.
Architecture of the Church
Important information concerning the architecture of the Church of the Transfiguration comes from a specialised publication of the Holy Metropolis of Constantia and Famagusta, based on research and on-site inspections involving an architect, an archaeologist and a civil engineer.
The church is a single-aisled, barrel-vaulted structure.
Its principal vault is pointed, an architectural characteristic encountered in a number of Cypriot churches and reflecting the long development of ecclesiastical architecture on the island.
At the eastern end of the church is the sanctuary apse.
The apse is:
semicircular internally, and
five-sided externally.
It is covered by a quarter-spherical semi-dome, while both the main vault of the church and the roof of the apse were covered with tiles.
These architectural features give the building a distinctive character and place it within the traditional ecclesiastical architecture of the Cypriot lowlands.
The Southern Arcade
One of the most distinctive external features of the church is the covered arcade along its southern side.
The arcade is formed by a series of arches, creating a sheltered external space running alongside the church.
Such covered spaces had both practical and social functions in traditional Cypriot churches. They offered protection from the intense summer sun and winter rain, while also providing a place where members of the congregation could gather before and after religious services.
The southern arcade should therefore be regarded as an integral element of the architectural identity of the Church of the Transfiguration rather than simply as a decorative addition.
The Interior Before 1974
Published information concerning the occupied municipalities of Cyprus describes the Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour as small but beautifully decorated.
This is an important historical description.
However, the reliable sources currently available do not provide a sufficiently detailed inventory of its former iconostasis, portable icons or possible wall paintings.
For this reason, particular icons, painters, frescoes or dates should not be attributed to the church unless additional documentary evidence becomes available.
This distinction is important.
The absence of detailed surviving documentation does not mean that the church lacked a significant interior decoration. It simply means that historical gaps should not be filled with assumptions.
What Happened After 1974
Following the events of 1974 and the displacement of the Greek Cypriot population of Lefkoniko, the church ceased to function normally as an Orthodox parish church.
Research published by the Holy Metropolis of Constantia and Famagusta records that, for a period of time, the building was used as a Muslim place of worship.
During this change of use, the southern entrance leading from the arcade was built up and closed.
This information is particularly significant because it comes from a study based on an on-site assessment of the monument rather than solely on oral testimony.
The church later ceased to be used and was left abandoned.
Deterioration of the Monument
The same survey documented clear signs of neglect and deterioration.
At the time of the assessment, roof tiles had been removed from the roof of the southern arcade.
The external plasterwork had deteriorated.
Dense vegetation had also grown around the building.
As a result, the Church of the Transfiguration was classified among the ecclesiastical monuments considered to be in poor condition.
This documentation is especially valuable because the survey was carried out with the involvement of specialists, including an architect, archaeologist and civil engineer, and incorporated direct inspections of ecclesiastical monuments in the occupied areas.
The First Divine Liturgy After 41 Years
One of the most moving moments in the modern history of the church occurred on 12 September 2015.
On that morning, the Divine Liturgy was once again celebrated inside the Church of the Transfiguration.
The Church of Cyprus described the building as having remained silent and abandoned for 41 years.
Hundreds of displaced people from Lefkoniko returned to their hometown to participate in the service.
The Divine Liturgy was presided over by Metropolitan Vasilios of Constantia and Famagusta, accompanied by clergy, including priests originating from Lefkoniko.
The service had profound symbolic significance.
For the first time since 1974, the church was once again filled with worshippers and the hymns and prayers of the Orthodox Divine Liturgy were heard within its walls.
Another Divine Liturgy in 2016
Religious services were held again the following year.
On 4 September 2016, another Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour.
The service was presided over by Archimandrite Panaretos Kyprianou, himself originating from Lefkoniko, with displaced residents of the town participating in the service.
The services of 2015 and 2016 therefore represent two particularly important chapters in the recent history of the monument.
They demonstrated that although the church had remained without its congregation for decades, its connection with the displaced community had never disappeared.
The Feast of the Transfiguration
The church is dedicated to the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, one of the major feasts of the Orthodox Christian calendar, celebrated annually on 6 August.
The feast commemorates the event described in the Gospels in which Christ was transfigured before the Apostles Peter, James and John, revealing His divine glory.
Before 1974, the feast of the Transfiguration was celebrated annually at Sotiras in Lefkoniko.
Vespers were held on the evening of 5 August, followed by the Divine Liturgy on the morning of the feast.
The celebration was therefore not merely a liturgical event. It formed part of the social and religious rhythm of life in the lower parish of Lefkoniko.
A Monument in Need of Protection
The Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour is not a monumental cathedral.
Its importance lies elsewhere.
It lies in its characteristic Cypriot architecture.
In its pointed vault.
In its externally five-sided apse.
In its tiled roofing.
In the arches of its southern arcade.
And, above all, in the long relationship between the building and the generations of people who worshipped there.
Ecclesiastical monuments are not merely collections of stones, arches and walls.
Their historical importance also comes from the human lives associated with them: baptisms, marriages, funerals, feast days, prayers and the countless personal and family memories accumulated within their walls.
This is what Sotiras represents for the people of Lefkoniko.
A Silent Witness in Kato Mahallas
The Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour still stands today in the Kato Mahallas of occupied Lefkoniko.
Its structure bears the marks of time, abandonment and altered use.
Its arcade has suffered deterioration.
Its plasterwork has decayed.
Its function was changed.
And the people who once filled the church every Sunday and every 6 August have lived away from their ancestral homes for more than half a century.
Yet the building remains.
The Divine Liturgies celebrated in 2015 and 2016 demonstrated that a church can remain alive in collective memory even when it has been separated from its congregation for decades.
The Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour in Lefkoniko is therefore an important surviving monument of the ecclesiastical and cultural heritage of occupied Cyprus.
Its documentation, conservation and restoration are important not only to the displaced people of Lefkoniko but also to the preservation of an authentic part of the religious and architectural heritage of the Mesaoria Plain.
Summary Information
Name: Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour
Greek name: Ιερός Ναός Μεταμορφώσεως του Σωτήρος
Local name: Sotiras
Location: Occupied Lefkoniko, Famagusta District, Cyprus
Location within the town: Kato Mahallas – Lower Quarter
Dedication: The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ
Feast day: 6 August
Architectural type: Single-aisled, barrel-vaulted church
Main vault: Pointed
Apse: Semicircular internally and five-sided externally
Apse covering: Quarter-spherical semi-dome
Roofing: Traditionally tiled over the main vault and apse
Characteristic external feature: Southern covered arcade with arches
Exact date of construction: No sufficiently documented date has been identified in the reliable sources examined, and therefore a specific construction date or century should not be stated as certain without further evidence.
Before 1974: A small but beautifully decorated parish church serving the lower neighbourhood of Lefkoniko.
After 1974: The building was used for a period as a Muslim place of worship, and the southern entrance from the arcade was built up.
Documented later condition: Deterioration of the external plasterwork, loss of tiles from the southern arcade and extensive vegetation around the building; the church was classified as being in poor condition.
First Divine Liturgy after 1974: 12 September 2015, after 41 years without Orthodox worship.
Next documented Divine Liturgy: 4 September 2016.
Historical and cultural significance: An important ecclesiastical monument of Lefkoniko and a surviving example of the traditional church architecture of the Mesaoria region.
Important research note: Until a primary architectural, archaeological or archival source providing a secure date for the construction of the church is identified, a specific year or century of construction should not be presented as established fact.
Text:
George Konstantinou
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