Myrtou village owns its development to its monastery
of the ST Panteleimon. The monastery played an important socio economic role in the
development of the village and the area in general especially during the years of Turkish
occupation.
The story of the monasterys foundation has not been
proven since there is no writers proof. Therefore we turn to tradition and sayings of
elder people. According to tradition two monks from Lapithos Dorotheos and Dositheos, left
their monastery of ST Panteleimon at Agio Oros coming back to their island Cyprus to
start a new monastery. With them they brought pieces of the holy bones of ST Panteleimon.
The two monks tried to find a quiet place in the Lapithos and Karavas area but with no
result. They mov ed on to an area today called AERAS, which was full of wild vegetation.
Tired and thirsty as they were they sat down and prayed to their Saint to help them. As
they were praying they saw water coming from the marble stones next to them. They drank
water a nd thanked ST Panteleimon for his help. In the same place today you can find the
Agiasma holy water of ST Panteleimon.
This is Monastery Saint Panteleimon Today
in Occupied Myrtou
The two monks decided to start their monastery in
this area. At first they builted a small church and two rooms for themselves. An icon of
Saint Panteleimon was placed in the church together with his holy bones for believes to
visit. The monastery is s aid to have been founded around 1600 A.D.
Gradually the monastery grew bigger and bigger
acguirin gproperty. It became one of the richest monasteries of the island, offering jobs
to the people of the villages around the area. The monastery had lots of fields for
cultivation, floks of sheep, go ats and cows. Later on the people that came to work the
monasterys land brought their families together as well as believers that have been healed
by the Saint and a new village was created around the monastery. This was the beginning of
the our village M yrtou.
Saint Panteleimon is celebrated on the 27th
of July each year. Many people from all over Cyprus were visiting the monastery to pay
their respects to Saint Panteleimon. Before 1922, when Asia Minor was Greek , many
worshiper were coming to Cy prus and to St Panteleimon monastery.
