Church of St Nicholas in Kakopetria, Cyprus

Postcard

In the central part of Cyprus, in the mountains of the Troodos range, some of the most important monuments of the history of Byzantine painting have survived. These are the painted churches which have to this day preserved brilliant examples of various trends of Byzantine and post-Byzantine monumental art, from the 11th to the 19th century.

The church of Ayios Nikolaos tis Stegis is situated in a central area of the Troodos mountain range, about two kilometers southwest of the village of Kakopetria. Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis is the only surviving katholicon (monastery church) of an 11th century Byzantine monastery in Cyprus. The church itself is dated to the 11th century. In 1985 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List which includes nine other painted Byzantine churches of the Troodos range.

Stamp

From a set of two ATM labels (2010) with topic moufflon. The Cyprus moufflon is a kind of wild sheep and is found only in Cyprus.