Georgian Orthodox Cathedral to Be Built in Cyprus

A Georgian Orthodox Cathedral will be built in Cyprus. The information was released by President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades at a joint press conference with President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili in Tbilisi, on April 17.

Nicos Anastasiades underlined many years of relations between Cyprus and Georgia and noted that the construction of the church is confirmation of this relationship.

"The existence of Georgians in Cyprus dates back centuries. Georgians appeared in Cyprus in the 10th century," he said.

He noted the Georgians built a monastery in Paphos. In 1571, it was abandoned after being raided.

“We have held negotiations and the ruins of this church were found during archaeological excavations. In order to celebrate our centuries-old relationship, Cyprus has handed over a plot of land to Georgia in order to build a new monastery in the region where the ruins of the Georgian church are,” he said.

By Thea Morrison