Panagia tou Araka

The Panagia tou Araka, or Arakos (Greek: Παναγία του Άρακα or Άρακος), is a middle Byzantine Orthodox church located in Cyprus.

The inscription on the interior of the north lintel states that they were completed in December 1192[1] and were painted by a monk named Theodore Apsevdis.

Apsevdis had been trained in Constantinople and his work may have been commissioned by Byzantine aristocrat Leontios Authentes, seeking refuge at a nearby monastery built by his father.

It was the first of its kind in the Komnenian-period, during the reign of Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081–1118),[dubious – discuss] and it was painted in 1192 under the patronage of Leontios Authentes by Theodore Apsevdis.

"All-pure mother of God, he who has portrayedyour immaculate image in perishable colors with great yearning and most ardent faith,Leon, your poor and worthless servant,called after his father Authentes,together with his consort and fellow servant [name of wife] request faithfully with countless tearsto find a happy conclusion to the rest of their lifetogether with their fellow slaves and children, your servants, and receive the death of the saved.For you alone, Virgin, are able to be glorified.When entreated to provide people with"[4] Across from the Virgin of Passion is the mural painting of Saint Simeon, holding the Christ child with Saint John the Baptist standing next to him.

This foreshadowing of Christ's future is written in the scroll held by St. John the Baptist stating:"Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."

Also, the positioning of this painting could refer to the purification rituals that were performed on the Virgin as it was customary for mothers to be purified in a temple forty days after the birth of a firstborn son.