The trail has three options. One is to Agios Nikolaos Property, the second to Kakopetria village and the third to Platania. Follow the path through pine forest and near the cliff edge with wonderful views of the River of Chromium, the Solea Valley and Morfou Bay. Connects to Campos paths Meadow and Meadow.
Property Agios Nikolaos
Saint Nicholas of the Roof, close to mountainous Kakopetria, is the only remnant of the old monastery. As seen from the church, the monastery was founded in the 11th century. But we do not have any information about it. The brickwork decoration of the church, the links with Constantinople and the Greek area generally. The monastery seems to have been at some acne, so during the Middle Byzantine period and during the Frankish rule, judging by the repeated decorations of the church with frescoes and dedication to it, by Frank Knight the big picture of St. Nicholas, in late the 13 th century. The monastery seems already declined in the 17th century and at the end of the century it was dissolved. When in 1735 the Russian monk Vasily Barsky visited it, there he met and monks. Later the estates of the monastery were rented in clergy and in the late 19th century and folk.
The church of St. Nicholas of the Roof owned cruciform with a dome. To the east ends in an apse semicircular inside and three-sided externally. Initially built without the narthex. It has only one entrance in the west wall means. The semicircle blind arch above the entrance, decorated with fialostomia.
Fialostomia decorate and blind arches that open up between the four windows of the dome and the cornice (frame), the top of the drum, which is crowned by a brick placed diagonally to form toothed belt. The church was illuminated with two windows, one in the southwest and the northwest district of the church, a bilobed window on the west wall, a first bilobed high on the north wall and an arched window, the semicircular wall of the apse. Repeated repairs, resulted in the destruction of the church's original facades. Initially, the west wall there, to the north and south of the entrance, two stepped blind arches. On the north wall beside the Northwest apartment window, there is a blind arch constructed with alternating stones and bricks, as well as the adjacent window.
In the early 12th century it was added to the west wall of the narthex with three deep blind arches in the east and west side, based on strong pilasters. Today's north wall of the narthex is later, because it met frescoes. They had the form of arch or if it was built to the north, is not known. The south wall, however, was straight from the start. The stent had an entrance in the middle of the west wall and one in the south wall. If there was a door in the north wall, as today, it is not known. When the 15th century was opened today north door of the church and the bilobed window above it, was monovolo, then closed the west door of the narthex and here constructed the mural of St George on horseback, with a John Trifylli donation.
In the late 12th or early 13th century, the St. Nicholas church was covered with a second gable roof, which hides the original cross-shaped arrangement of the vaults and the dome. This second roof with flat tiles, gave the name to St. Nicholas of the Roof, from the 13th century, as evidenced by the inscription on the picture of St. Nicholas.
The church was decorated with frescoes, from the 11th century. Since however frescoes of the 11th century, only a few survive today. These frescoes stand for coarse features intense schematic line, limited color range, but also the strong psyche, especially the portraits of the saints, which we describe below:
In the conch of the apse depicts the Virgin Mary standing in prayer position, between the archangels Michael and Gabriel, dressed in imperial uniform and frontally. In eastern arch, above the step depicted the Ascension (northern half) and Pentecost (southern half). In western arch depicted the Transfiguration and the Raising of Lazarus (southern half) and the Entry into Jerusalem (northern half). On the west wall, above the entrance, very damaged the Assumption. On the north wall, under the tent with Myrrhbearing front of the Empty Tomb and partly covered by it, illustrated the Deposition and the Entombment of Christ.
On the east wall, south of the arch depicted St. Zacharias. In shallow blind arch above the west entrance depicted St. Nicholas too damaged. When the narthex was added, then decorated with the scene of the Last Judgement. But today most of it has been destroyed.
In the 17th century dating and the iconostasis of the church. The sanctuary doors and the icon of St. Nicholas, as well as images of the X Excellent and Virgin on the iconostasis are works of Paul ierografou. Maybe works of the same artist can be and the Cross.
UNESCO has included the church of St. Nicholas of the Roof because of its particular value to the list of World Cultural Heritage.
Starting point: On the road leading to the picnic site "Campos Livadi" situated between Troodos Square and Karvounas, 1,5 km from Troodos Square and 9 km from Karvounas. Located about 300m above the narrow paved road. After course 1km to trail widened for easy access by wheelchair, you will reach a crossroads with a wooden sign that says: to Graves Piskopon (northwest), and the first kilometer is part of the path "Campos Livadi". Ends the road that connects Platania with Agios Nikolaos Property.
Path Length: 8 km
Considerable time: 3 hours
Degree of difficulty: 3
Format: Linear
ADDRESS: Forest Karvounas, Troodos Mountains