UNDP AND ITALIAN GROUP OF EXPERTS UNFOLD ARMENIAN HERITAGE RESTORATION PLANS AT ARMENIAN CYPRIOT COMMUNITY GATHERING

Gibrahayer
Wednesday 3 December, 2008

… During the Ottoman period the church was restored several
times. One is recorded in 1688. In 1788 the Baptistery was
built. Finally in the second half of XIX c. many works are
documented. In 1858 the pointed arches that support the north side
of the porch were constructed. Two years later the bell tower was
built. The collapse of the central part of the porch may have been
the reason for the restoration of the works.

To this period date the most significant changes to the interior of
the church to adapt it to the Armenian creed. The hirdbay flooring
was raised from the level of first and second bay. The altar was put
on the uppermost part: it was composed of a masonry block in which
were reused marble slabs coming from ancient monuments, like the
Mirabel’s family slab. The front of this higher part of church’s
floor had decorated tiles. In the first bay the women gallery was
built. Women’s entrance was from the west entrance, while men’s
entrance from the northern gate (see M. de Mas Latrie 1846 report) …