Byzantine Icons & Frescoes
Cyprus was part of the Byzantine Empire for almost 800 years, and this heritage is visible everywhere — especially in the Troodos barn-roof churches (UNESCO), which house the most significant Byzantine frescoes outside of Istanbul and Ravenna.
The frescoes cover the entire development of Byzantine painting:
- 11th–12th centuries: Strict, hieratic depictions in the Comnenian style (Panagia tou Arakou, Lagoudera)
- 13th–14th centuries: More emotional, narrative scenes in the Palaiologan style (Panagia tis Asinou)
- 15th–16th centuries: Italo-Byzantine mixed styles with Western influences (Panagia Podithou, Galata)
The Byzantine Museum in the Archbishop's Palace in Nicosia possesses the island's best icon collection, including returned pieces that were looted from the north after 1974 and sold on the international art market.
