Notre Dame de Tyre

Nicosia, Cyprus

Notre Dame de Tyre is a 14th-century monastery in Nicosia. It is believed that the original church, known as the Benedictine Abbey of Our Lady of Tyre, was founded in the 13th century as a principal convent following the fall of Jerusalem. In 1308, the Lusignan king, Henry II of Jerusalem, repaired the church after it was destroyed by an earthquake. As many of the nuns were Armenian in origin, it came under the Armenian Church before 1504.

In 1570, following the capture of Nicosia by the Ottomans, the keeping of the Paphos Gate, the church, and the surrounding area were handed over to the Armenians by Sultan Selim II.

The Armenian Prelature of Cyprus was housed next to the church, until the 1963-1964 intercommunal troubles, when it was taken over by extremist Turkish-Cypriots. In 1920 the descendants of Artin Melikian restored the church, and built the Melikian Elementary School on the grounds of the church. In 1938, the Ouzounian Elementary School was established by Dikran Ouzounian. There was also a kindergarten, originally built in 1902 and called Shoushanian.

In 1963, part of Nicosia was taken over by Turkish-Cypriot extremists, including the church complex. The church was trashed and illegal Turkish settlers moved in, causing further damage. In 2007, the area was sealed off and architects, historians and a committee met with the Armenian Ethnarchy to discuss renovation and refurbishment.

The existing building is gothic in style and consists of a square nave, with a semi-octagonal apse, cross vaults an arch covering the western part, a bell tower (built in 1860) and convent buildings to the north of the church. To the east of the nunnery buildings is the sarcophagus of Lady Dampierre, an Abbess of the nunnery. On the church floor are tombstones dating from the 14th and 15th centuries.

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Address

Demirkent SK, Nicosia, Cyprus
See all sites in Nicosia

Details

Founded: c. 1308
Category: Religious sites in Cyprus

More Information

www.whatson-northcyprus.com
en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.1/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

mohsen bahadori (21 months ago)
A good place to visit in old part of Nicosia
Erkan Ilpars (2 years ago)
Ermini kilisesi 17 yüzyılda luziryan dönemine ait bir kilisedir.osmanli döneminde sarı selim padişah Ermeni kralının yardımları karşılığında bu kiliseyi vermiştir.gotik ve Katolik bir kilise olup . arabahmet bölgesi içerisinde yer almaktadır..1974 yılında Kıbrıs Barış gücü tarafından korumaya alınmıştır .. yaklaşık 10 sene önce restore edilerek Kıbrıs halkına kazandırılmıştır.. şuanda bünyesinde DAU (Doğu Akdeniz üniversitesi) yüksek lisans ve Master öğrencilerine olanak sağlamıştır.
Ian Fergusson-Sharp (3 years ago)
This 13th century Armenian monastery is located on the edge of the Arabahmet area. It is believed that the original church, known as the Benedictine Abbey of Our Lady of Tyre, was founded as a principal convent for the women of Cyprus following the fall of Jerusalem and the expulsion of all religious orders from the city in the 8th Century. When the city was divided in 1963, the church found itself right on the border between north and south, and it was fairly comprehensively trashed. In more recent years, squatters moved in, causing further damage. These however,were removed in readiness for the extensive refurbishment of building. In July 2012, renovation of the main church buildings was completed. Work continues on surrounding buildings which will be used as a cultural and educational centre. Because of the on-going building work, the church is only occasionally opened.
Арцви Навасардян (3 years ago)
Ararat people history
Vincent Zeteliano (5 years ago)
It's closed. You can't go into it. The enterance is blocked by garbage and chairs. The surrounding area is probably the most dilapidated part of Northern Cyprus.
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