Originally a monastery, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a complex of three churches – Ioannis Lampadistis, Agios Irakleidios and a Latin chapel – all under a single, enormous timber roof. Located in the Troodos valley of Marathasa (just off the village of Kalopanagiotis), the precise date of the monastery’s foundation is not known, and the building complex that survives today has undergone extensive reconstruction and restoration at different periods. The church of Agios Ioannis Lampadistis was built in 1731. The saint’s tomb, which dates to the 12th century, can be found under the narrow north-eastern arch, and the saint’s skull lies in a niche. The icon of Lampadistis dates to 1543. A very interesting Byzantine museum can be found near the church.

Located in the mountainous region of Marathasa Valley, the Monastery of Kykkos is the wealthiest and most lavish on the island, and stands on a mountain peak, at an altitude of 1.318 metres.

The picturesque village resembles an amphitheatre, with the lower part of the village having one altitude and the upper part having another, thus separating it into Pano (upper) and Kato (lower) Platres.

The monastery which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, stands out for the natural beauty of its surroundings and is built on a mountain peak, between Platres and Prodromos village, in the middle of the pine forest of Troodos, from which its name originates.