Sourp Magar Monastery, Cyprus

In addition to its historical interest as a centre of Armenian culture, Sourp Magar is noted for its picturesque location and distant views of the Mediterranean and the mountains in Anatolia.

[3] Armenians continued to migrate to Cyprus as Turkic peoples entered Anatolia and established powerful kingdoms there in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

[5] Sourp Magar has, over its long history, served a wide range of social functions, from a school and rest-house for pilgrims to an orphanage and summer retreat for the Armenians of Nicosia.

[7] After the 1974 Turkish Intervention of Cyprus, the Armenian community could no longer maintain custodians at Sourp Magar and the complex fell into ruins.

Camille Enlart (1862–1927), the doyen of Gothic architecture who visited Cyprus in the nineteenth century, did not mention Sourp Magar in his landmark volume, and the buildings, as a consequence, have not been received the recognition they deserve.

A large room used as a guest chamber, with the roof supported on a central column at the north-east corner, is of the same date as the eastern façade.

"[11] From the 1920s modern tiles and other additions were added in many places, while the post-war period brought misguided rebuilding with reinforced concrete.

One of the medieval windows had a concrete awning with steel I-beams inserted into it, evidently to provide a place for a toilet and bathroom.

While the operation did lead to some challenges, including vandalism and looting for building materials, it is heartening to note that, from 2005, the Turkish authorities embarked on a project to rebuild and re-roof several rooms on the south side of the precinct.