Agios Ioannis (St. John's Cathedral), Nicosia

Agios Ioannis (St. John's Cathedral), Nicosia

St. John's Cathedral was built in the 17th century on the site of a 14th-century Benedictine Abbey. St. John's Cathedral was built in 1662 and dedicated to St. John the Theologian. The cathedral features Franco-Byzantine style. The Ottoman rulers required a modest exterior style, but the interior features stunning gilded woodwork and crystal chandeliers.

In 1720, the cathedral was renovated and converted into the Orthodox Archbishop's residence. Between 1736 and 1756, the interior walls were covered with beautiful frescoes depicting Biblical scenes. In addition to scenes showing the life of Christ, the frescoes show the history of the Church of Cyprus. St. John's Cathedral is Nicosia's only church that still features complete original wall paintings.

Cretan artist John Kornaris created the four impressive icons between 1795 and 1797.

The cathedral serves as the official state church and has a throne for the archbishop and places for the Greek Ambassador and the President of the Republic of Cypress.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Nicosia. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Agios Ioannis (St. John's Cathedral) on Map

Sight Name: Agios Ioannis (St. John's Cathedral)
Sight Location: Nicosia, Cyprus (See walking tours in Nicosia)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Nicosia, Cyprus

Create Your Own Walk in Nicosia

Create Your Own Walk in Nicosia

Creating your own self-guided walk in Nicosia is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Nicosia Shopping Tour

Nicosia Shopping Tour

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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
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Greek Old Town Walking Tour

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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Turkish Old Town Walking Tour

Turkish Old Town Walking Tour

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Others say the first settlers were Achaean veterans of the Trojan War. They appeared on the plain of Mesaoria by the river Pedieos in 2,500 BC. They formed the city...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles