traveldk.com

Three churches stand within the walls of this ancient monastery . Inside is a superb Pantokrator (Christ) painting in the dome.

One of the oldest of the Troodos churches (1279), this chapel of the Virgin has rare frescoes of St George and St Christopher – both arrayed for battle in Byzantine armour – and of the Virgin and the infant Christ. As yet unrestored, they are redolent of history.

The frescoes of this village church, dating from 1474, are more lively than some of their rivals. Their colours were brightened by restoration in 1980 and include a range of Gospel and Old Testament scenes.

One of the oldest of the island’s churches to be dedicated to St Nicholas, this former monastery chapel features some beautiful frescoes from the 11th to the 15th centuries.

Dramatic depictions of the Crucifixion and the Virgin are the most striking feature of this small 16th-century church, surrounded by fields and woodland.

The Church of Our Lady of the Meadows stands on its own on a wooded hillside. The interior boasts a 12th-century nave and frescoes painted between then and the early 16th century, restored in the 1960s.

Cleaned and restored to their pristine colours, the frescoes of this 15th-century church are by the religious painter Philippos Goul. The most striking, decorating the full round of the ceiling, are scenes from the Gospels, including The Last Supper, the Crucifixion and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

The serene, rather melancholy portrait of Christ Pantokrator , dating from 1192, that adorns the dome of this church is superbly preserved. It is surrounded by brightly coloured fresco portraits of the twelve Old Testament prophets and, in the apse, the twelve Church Fathers.

The main highlight of this tiny and isolated chapel is a series of wall paintings showing scenes from the life of Christ, painted in the early 16th century.

This small 14th-century church was restored in 1995 and has a unique icon of Christ flanked by the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist. Fine wall paintings blend Byzantine Orthodox and Venetian Catholic influences.