One of the beautiful things about Cyprus is its heritage and history. Every street has got a history dating back to the 16th or even the 10th century. It’s one thing to read about the ancient Greeks or Romans, but it’s a different story when physically at the place.
My best subject in high school was History, and even now, if I were to be a teacher, I would go for History. Now it’s incredible to walk in a historical land. I love discovering the past in the present by explaining ancient history.
One hot afternoon, I went on a walking spree with my friend, and we came across an old building. Well, this is normal in North Cyprus, considering that’s the attractive aspect of the island. Out of curiosity, we stepped inside to get a glimpse only to discover that it was an old church, Chrysopolitissa Church. The historian in me was suddenly aroused.
Chrysopolitissa Church is the oldest church in Kyrenia. It was built as a Latin church around the 14th century. It’s located opposite the rear entrance of the Folk Art Museum, which is at the back of the Kyrenia Harbour.
The unique structure of this church is its Gothic doorway on the North Side, and because of that, it is believed that it was French-influenced. There is a crucifixion of Jesus Christ engraved on the wall of the front entrance. Inside, there is an altar and an extended side with its own door.
After ‘touring’, I decided to do further research on the church on the internet. As I was going through the reviews, I noticed that I wasn’t the only one concerned about the maintenance of this place; some are willing to go an extra mile to make sure this place is well kept. As a result of not being used or at least preserved as a historical site, the roof has fallen, and its walls are dilapidating. With the way I love history, I was hurt to see how this historical treasure is being treated as an ordinary building.
Sadly, with the efforts of some individuals like Hans Doeleman, nothing has been done to revive or maintain this infrastructure. “And yes, I have called the Girne Belediyesi to report. And yes, I was told to drive from Alsancak to Girne and report the vandalizing to the Girne Police. I’ll do it tomorrow. It’s not easy to help Cypriot Turks to protect their Byzantine and medieval monuments,” he stated.
With the rate at which the Chrysopolitissa Church is crumbling, one can only wonder if the building will still be in existence a few years from now.
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