Located in the southwest of Cyprus is the community of Archimandrita in the district of Paphos, where there is the Cave Chapel of the 318 Holy Fathers, which has been restored by the Cyprus Department of Antiquities and declared an ancient monument.
There are ancient frescos preserved on its internal walls. The small chapel is a cave carved into a rock with relics of saints within a tomb in the cave. The chapel celebrates on the 5th Sunday after Easter, when the Orthodox Church commemorates the 318 Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Synod. There is also a Doxology that takes place every Monday of the Paschal season at the cave area. In the past the chapel functioned as a community church with many worshippers gathering from the neighboring villages.
According to local tradition, the 318 Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Synod (some sources say it was the Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Synod), when leaving from Nicaea of Asia Minor and while sailing the sea off the coast of Cyprus were swept ashore to the Bay of Pissouri by a storm. When the Holy Fathers headed in shore it was very dark – they commented that it was “pissouri” dark (pissouri dark in Greek-Cypriot dialect means extremely dark). The name of the village originates from these Holy Father’s experience. Next, they headed inland and reached the next community. There, they heard the first cock crow ("alector" in Greek) and therefore the community was named Alectora. Continuing their course, they reached the next community where they established a monastery where the cave chapel is today. The monastery was headed by an Archimandrite and it is to this rank of the Church that Archimandrita owes its name.
There are ancient frescos preserved on its internal walls. The small chapel is a cave carved into a rock with relics of saints within a tomb in the cave. The chapel celebrates on the 5th Sunday after Easter, when the Orthodox Church commemorates the 318 Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Synod. There is also a Doxology that takes place every Monday of the Paschal season at the cave area. In the past the chapel functioned as a community church with many worshippers gathering from the neighboring villages.
According to local tradition, the 318 Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Synod (some sources say it was the Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Synod), when leaving from Nicaea of Asia Minor and while sailing the sea off the coast of Cyprus were swept ashore to the Bay of Pissouri by a storm. When the Holy Fathers headed in shore it was very dark – they commented that it was “pissouri” dark (pissouri dark in Greek-Cypriot dialect means extremely dark). The name of the village originates from these Holy Father’s experience. Next, they headed inland and reached the next community. There, they heard the first cock crow ("alector" in Greek) and therefore the community was named Alectora. Continuing their course, they reached the next community where they established a monastery where the cave chapel is today. The monastery was headed by an Archimandrite and it is to this rank of the Church that Archimandrita owes its name.
