Monastery of St. Neophytos the Recluse

Published on 1th of October, 2024

The Monastery of St. Neophytos the Recluse is located in a picturesque gorge, surrounded on three sides by high hills. Founded in the 12th century by one of the most revered saints of Cyprus, a native of the island, it is an important Orthodox monastery and a place of worship for thousands of pilgrims.

Icons in the Monastery of St. Neophytos the Recluse (Cyprus)

Saint Neophytos was born in 1134 in the village of Kato Drys, near what is now the famous village of Lefkara (it is said that his house has been preserved to this day). In his youth, he left home and went to the Chrysostomos Monastery (Monastery of St. John Chrysostom in the Kyrenia region, Northern Cyprus — now destroyed). Here, after exhausting work in the monastery vineyards, he learned to read and write.

Remarkably, the man who would become the most prolific writer of the 12th century taught himself literacy at the age of 18! The young Neophytos dreamed of becoming a hermit to dedicate himself fully to serving Christ, but the abbot of the monastery did not grant him his blessing.

As a pilgrim, Neophytos traveled to Jerusalem and made an unsuccessful attempt to join other pilgrims heading to Asia Minor. Finally, deciding to devote himself to an ascetic life in service to God, Neophytos fled from the monastery and secluded himself in a deserted suburb of Paphos, settling in a small natural cave and beginning to transform it. This marks the beginning of the famous monastic community named after the saintly recluse.

The history of the monastery

A year later, the Enkleistra (secluded hermitage) was completed. There was nothing inside except for a stone bench, which served as Neophytos’s work desk and bed, and a tomb, where he willed to be buried. Over time, the hermitage expanded — the cell was connected with two man-made caves, a nave, and an altar, with a dining area arranged nearby. The hermitage was dedicated to the Holy Cross in honor of a relic of the True Cross that Neophytos carefully guarded (now lost).

The fame of the holy recluse reached the Bishop of Paphos, who ordained Neophytos and persuaded him to take on disciples. The monastery grew, and the cells were adorned with frescoes. The famous artist Theodore Apsevdis, who also painted the frescoes in the Panagia Araka Church in Lagoudera (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), worked here.

The legacy of Saint Neophytos

In his will, Neophytos instructed that he be buried in the tomb he had prepared for himself and sealed within his cell’s crypt, with the wall decorated with frescoes so that nothing would indicate the place of his burial. For several centuries, the saint’s burial site was lost, as was the date of his death. It was not until 1756 that the grave and relics were rediscovered and transferred to the monastery’s church, where they are preserved to this day.

In the 16th century, the main church of the Monastery of St. Neophytos the Recluse, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was built.

Throughout its history, the monastery fell into decline several times and was later restored. In the first half of the 17th century, the monastery received the status of a stavropegic monastery (self-governing and independent). The monastery is fully restored and continues to delight visitors with its beauty and charm.

Feast Days

The memory of Saint Neophytos is celebrated on January 24 and September 28. The main feast of the church is the Dormition of the Theotokos, celebrated on August 15.