06 05 21 - Cyprus- A pilgrimage to Sourp Magar Monastery

SAINT MAGAR MONASTERY IN CYPRUS
In 2001 a British journalist named Ben West visited Sourp Magar Monastery in the northern part of Cyprus (now occupied) and wrote in the travel section of the "Guardian": "Sadly, Sourp Magar has been comprehensively vandalised, but it is still a beautiful spot with an unbelievable silence and the heady scent of pine trees".

In May 2005, Armenian news agencies reported that the Monastery was turned into a cafe with the intention also to build a hotel or a recreation center on the site. After actions by the Cypriot Government, international bodies expressed concern on this matter, notably the Vatican, which issued a severe response. The hotel "licence" was temporarily halted.
In April 2006 Easter time, Sebouh Armenagian, a Cypriot Armenian based in Sharjah (UAE), visited Sourp Magar Monastery with the spiritual leaders of the community. Here are his notes:

It was Armenian Easter. We met Hayr Paren in the Armenian Apostolic Church in Limassol (Saint Kevork). His face was familiar. He has stayed in Dubai (UAE ) for a couple of months in the past. After the Holy Mass we had a chat with him and remembered the old days in Dubai and Sharjah.
View photo of Sourp Magar Monastery and read the remaining of the pilgrimage ...

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