Almost 2km outside Koilani village between Koilani and Pera Pedi you will find the chapel of Agia Mavri. The chapel is located at a beautiful and green area above Kryos Potamos and opposite an enormous plane tree of 1200 years old.
It is a french-byzantine style church with wooden rooftop and roof tiles. The inner walls of the church used to be covered with impressive frescos but nowdays only few are rescued. The fresco of Agia Mavri with Agios Timotheos stand out. The church is built on a big rock and once you get inside you can hear the sound of water passing through the rock.
Even today, at the spot where the chapel is located, there is a water spring, and east of the temple through a marble fountain runs the holy water of Agia Mavri, which is considered miraculous. The cart of Agia is also kept in the chapel.
The ecclesiastical tradition says that Agia Mavri and Agios Timotheos where tortured and killed by Αrrianos, which was the leader of Thivaida. It is unknown how their story became known to Cypriots.
There is a traditional story which talks about a girl named Mavri who lived in Koilani and felt in love with a man named Timotheos. Their parents did not want to marry Mavri with Timotheos so the couple run away. The villagers hunted them down but the rocks opened as a miracle at the spot where the church is and saved the young couple. At the spot where the rocks were opened a spring was created. Τhen another rock opened at Pera Pedi where an angel showed up and took the couple to heaven to save them.
Praxia Aresti
