The painted churches of Troodos: a route through the UNESCO churches
Last verified 19 October 2026
Scattered through the valleys of Troodos (Trodos Dağları) are ten small churches and monasteries listed together by UNESCO as the Painted Churches in the Troodos Region. From the outside many look like barns, with steep timber roofs built to shed rain and snow. Inside, the walls are covered from floor to ceiling in paintings made over roughly five hundred years, from the 11th century to the 16th. All are still places of worship, owned by the Church of Cyprus.
A short history
The group was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1985, with the boundaries revised in 2001. What makes it unusual is the range. The paintings run from the art of Byzantine Constantinople, through work showing Western influence under the Lusignan kings, to the Italo Byzantine style of the Venetian period. Many carry dated inscriptions, which is rare for the medieval eastern Mediterranean and helps scholars date Byzantine painting elsewhere. In some, a pitched timber roof sits right over an older masonry dome.
The ten churches
Panagia Phorviotissa, Asinou. About three kilometres from Nikitari, beside a stream. Built in 1099 for a Byzantine official, Nikephoros Ischyrios, who later became a monk. Its paintings span the 12th to the 17th centuries, and the earliest reflect the art of Constantinople.
Panagia Podithou, Galata. Built in 1502 as part of a monastery, paid for by Demetre de Coron, a captain of the barony of Pentageia, and his wife Helen. UNESCO calls its murals among the most sophisticated examples of the Italo Byzantine school that grew up under Venetian rule. Galata has four painted churches in all.
Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis, Kakopetria. Saint Nicholas of the Roof, a few kilometres outside Kakopetria, named after the timber roof added to protect its domes. An 11th century cross in square church with paintings from the 11th to the 17th centuries. The tourism board calls its early paintings the most important surviving set on the island from their period.
Agios Ioannis Lampadistis, Kalopanagiotis. The largest of the group: a former monastery where three churches stand side by side under one great timber roof. Inside are 13th and 14th century paintings, the tomb of the saint, and a Latin chapel with the most complete series of Italo Byzantine paintings in Cyprus. A small Byzantine museum stands next to it.
Panagia tou Moutoulla, Moutoullas. A tiny chapel, possibly once private, with paintings dated to 1280, the only surviving 13th century series in Cyprus that can be dated precisely. Look for the donors, Ioannis and his wife Irene, holding a model of the church.
Archangelos Michael, Pedoulas. A small church built and painted in 1474 by Minas, a painter from the Marathasa valley, in the local post Byzantine style. The wooden screen is of the same date. The narthex was the women’s area, since only men entered the church itself.
Panagia tou Araka, Lagoudera. A 12th century monastery church between Lagoudera and Saranti, painted in 1192 by Theodoros Apsevdis. One of the most important Byzantine churches on the island, its late Comnenian paintings bear comparison with work of the same age in Greece, the Balkans and Russia.
Stavros tou Agiasmati, Platanistasa. A few kilometres outside the village. Painted in 1494 by the local artist Philippos Goul, it has the most complete cycle of late 15th century wall painting on the island. The timber roof runs over a porch on all four sides, which is unique in Cyprus, and an extensive Last Judgement climbs to the top of the gable.
Metamorfosis tou Sotiros, Palaichori. The Transfiguration of the Saviour, an early 16th century chapel fully painted inside by an unknown artist, in one of the most complete post Byzantine series in Cyprus.
Timios Stavros, Pelendri. The only one of the ten in the Limassol (Lemesos, Limasol) district. The 14th century paintings show the revival of late Byzantine art from Constantinople alongside Western touches. The north aisle was a private chapel for a branch of the Lusignan royal family, who held the village.
Two driving routes
Nine of the churches are in the Nicosia (Lefkosia, Lefkoşa) district and one in Limassol district. Seeing all ten in a day is a rush on narrow, winding roads, so most people split them over two days. Brown signs with a church symbol lead the way.
West: Solea and Marathasa. Start at Asinou near Nikitari, then go south into the Solea valley for Galata and Kakopetria. Cross into the Marathasa valley for Kalopanagiotis, Moutoullas and Pedoulas, three villages close together.
East: Pitsilia. Lagoudera and Platanistasa sit close together, and a waymarked nature trail links Panagia tou Araka with Stavros tou Agiasmati through the Adelfoi forest. Add Palaichori, a little further east, and finish at Pelendri on the southern side of the range, in Limassol district.
Visiting
Opening hours. Since August 2025 the culture ministry has opened all ten churches six days a week. From 16 April to 15 September they open Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 17:30, and Sunday 11:00 to 16:30. From 16 September to 15 April it is Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 16:30, and Sunday 11:00 to 16:30. They are closed on Mondays, at Christmas, over Easter and Holy Week, and on 15 August. The tourism board still lists shorter hours for Palaichori, with weekend visits by request, so check before you go.
Keys and caretakers. Outside opening hours the old routine still applies: find the keyholder in the village, often the priest or a neighbour. The tourism board lists a local contact for several churches, and asks visitors to Moutoullas to call ahead if arriving outside the usual times. Churches sometimes close for restoration, so ring before a long detour.
Fees and donations. Entry to all ten was free when we checked, though the small museum at Kalopanagiotis charges €1. A donation, or buying a candle, helps with upkeep.
Dress. Cover shoulders and knees, and keep voices low.
Photography. Photography inside is not allowed in most of the churches. Where it is allowed, the caretaker will say so. At some, the lighting is kept dim to protect the paintings.
Access. Several churches, including Asinou, Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis, Moutoullas, Pedoulas and Platanistasa, are listed as wheelchair accessible. Lampadistis and Galata have entrance ramps.
When to go. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for the drive. In winter, snow can affect the higher roads; see our Troodos guide for winter driving.
Nearby
For Kykkos monastery, the villages, the trails and Mount Olympos, see our Troodos guide. For other names you will see on signs, see place names in Cyprus.