This small building illustrates the Cypriot search for identity in the second half of the 20th century.
Characteristically, the client chose architectural forms typical of the Cyclades Islands (1,000 kilometers from Cyprus) for the chapel — if you google Santorini, you’ll see similar buildings there. Note again the uncharacteristic white walls and blue details of old Cyprus: all this is a reference to Greece. The second important concept is that until recently, the island retained the culture of building chapels within private estates, as it has done since the Middle Ages.
Our companion Iosif Hadjikyriakos adds: “The chapel was erected by a lady who lived in the house. In her will, she asked her heirs to preserve the chapel — so the house was demolished, the church was spared.”
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