- Address: Agios Georgios Alamanou, Limassol, Cyprus
On the island of Cyprus at various times and times, many monasteries have been built, most of them are preserved today and are in force. Some are very well known, others - on the contrary. Sometimes it seems that tourists and pilgrims would never have known about the monastery of St. George Alaman if he had not been on the way to a beautiful place on the coast called White Stones.
The history of the monastery
July 4, 1187 Egyptian Sultan Saladin defeated the Christian army and quickly captured the entire Jerusalem Kingdom. Many surviving monks were forced to leave the territory of Palestine and settle in other places.
About 300 monks-hermits who came once from German lands, came to Cyprus and settled not far from Limassol . Great popularity among the local population was acquired by the monk George, he equipped himself with a cell, where petitioners came. George was considered a miracle worker and devotee.
After his death at the very end of the 12th century, a monastery was built around his cell named after St. George the Victorious. But by that time in Cyprus there were already many monasteries with a similar name, and to distinguish the new structure it eventually became known as the monastery of St. George Alamanu. In translation from Greek Alamanu means "Germanic".
In the Middle Ages the monastery stood idle. His new life began only in 1880, when a new church and monastic cells were erected on the site of the old church. A few years later a source was found near the monastery, which was called the Agiosma of St. George, in translation from Greek "shrine". Nowadays, everyone who passes by can freeze water from it.
Why did the monastery suddenly become female?
The built monastery was filled with monks-men and belonged to the Metropolis of Limassol. But because of internal conflicts with the Metropolitan in 1907, the founding monks of the rebuilt structure left this place. And by the end of 1918 the monastery was completely empty. And only with the enormous assistance of Archbishop Makarius III in 1949 the monastery began to be populated, but already by nuns from Dherinia, and turned into a female one. So it remains today, and, perhaps, became the largest monastery of the island and helped with its knowledge to begin to restore the monasteries of the Blessed Virgin Sphalangiotissa near Limassol, Saint Fyokla and St. Nicholas (Cat) on the Akrotiri peninsula.
Monastery in our days
Over the past decades, nuns have built a new church and church, very ennobled the territory of the monastery. The courtyard and all the neighborhoods are simply buried in flowers. Nuns are engaged in gardening, needlework, beekeeping and paint icons. Honey and all that is produced in the monastery, you can buy at a local store. And also to collect holy water at the source.
How to get to the monastery of St. George Alamanu?
The monastic complex is located east of Limassol about 20 kilometers, near the village of Pendakomo. To reach it is most convenient by car on the coordinates.
If you go from Limassol about 7-9 kilometers from the city will turn left, and after 100 meters you will be rested on track B1. Turn right and go 800 meters before turning to the monastery again to the right. Further you will pass under the high-speed line and after 800 meters you will drive out onto the road and turn left. After a kilometer you will see a brown pointer at the turn to the monastery - to the right, and you will immediately see the final goal.
If you go from the direction of Larnaca , then at the same pointer turn left and immediately find yourself on the road towards the monastery, to which there will be only 1200 meters.
A visit to the monastery is free, but do not forget to visit the monastery's shop.
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