The Church of St. George in Mammari was visited today by the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works Mr. During his visit, Mr. Karousos had the opportunity to inspect the works that have either been completed or are in progress and aim to enhance the cultural value of our church monuments.
The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works has approved the full coverage of the cost of the works in progress. The subsidised expenditure amounts to €122,821.
As Mr Karousos stressed, "it is our duty to protect and enhance our ecclesiastical monuments as an integral part of our culture and history. The protection and preservation of our cultural heritage is a duty to future generations for the preservation of religiosity as a characteristic of Hellenism."
The church of Agios Georgios in the coastal village of Mammari dates back to the second half of the 19th century and was declared an Ancient Monument of the Second Schedule in 1989. Conservation and restoration works of the church are currently underway.
It is a single-aisled basilica with a cross dome, built from the yellowish limestone of the Gerolakkos area. The church is built in two phases. The oldest eastern half is placed in the second half of the 19th century without further information, while it was later extended to the west and consecrated in 1877 by the then Archbishop Sophronios. Its tall bell tower, one of the most characteristic bell towers in Cyprus, was erected in 1925 by the Kaimaklion craftsman Nicolas Samaras. Inside the church, on the north wall next to the carved wooden iconostasis, there is a large fresco of St. George the Trophy Bearer dating back to 1906. East of the sanctuary under the churchyard is the "Tziuri", as it became known in popular tradition, an ancient carved tomb with six stone sarcophagi.
During the period 1990-1991, maintenance work was carried out on the bell tower by a crew of the Department of Antiquities. The work currently in progress is being carried out by a private crew under the supervision of the Department of Antiquities. They started in November 2022 and are scheduled to be completed this year. Work will be carried out on both the church (interior, exterior and roof) and the precinct, including replacement of tiles and damp-proofing of the roof, maintenance of the masonry on the exterior, maintenance work on the existing windows and frames, partial uncovering of the stone masonry on the interior for moisture release purposes, elevation work on the "Juri", disabled access and landscaping of the courtyard.
(ΘΓ/ΙΚ)
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