Church of Saint Lazarus, Larnaca (must see)

The Church of Saint Lazarus is an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church in Larnaca. It was built in the late 9th century. The church is mostly made from limestone block with a thickness of about three feet.

The church was named after New Testament figure Lazarus who according to Eastern Orthodox beliefs, fled to Cyprus after the resurrection of Christ. He was named as the first Bishop of Kition, which would later become Larnaca. The church is rumored to have been built over his tomb.

From the 13th to the 16th century, when Cyprus was under Frankish and Venetian rule, the Church of Saint Lazarus was used as a Roman Catholic church. This was when a Gothic style covered portico was added. The church was used as a mosque during Ottoman rule, at which time the original bell tower and three domes were destroyed. The church was sold back to the Greek Orthodox in 1589.

The current, Latinate-style bell tower on the Church of Saint Lazarus was built in 1857 after the Ottoman rulers allowed their churches to have these towers once more. Further construction was done on the church in the late 20th century after a fire caused significant damage to the interior.

The church contains a five-room museum that holds Byzantine and post-Byzantine icons, vestments, books, sacred utensils, candle holders and wood carvings. Visitors to the Church of Saint Lazarus and its museum are welcome beginning at 8 AM every day except for Sundays. On Sundays, the church opens to the public at 6:30 AM. The church closes at 6:30 PM during the summer season and at 5:30 PM during winter months.