The island of Cyprus boasts 340 days of sunshine a year and is at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa. East meets West here. This Mediterranean island is north of Egypt and south of Turkey, with Crete and the Greek Isles to its west and Israel, Lebanon and Syria to the east.

It is one of the few places on earth where you can experience summer (in any of its ancient cities on the southern coast) and winter (skiing on Mt. Olympus about an hour’s drive from the shore) on the same day.

Cyprus is the third-largest island in the Mediterranean at 3,572 square miles. It offers an abundance of religious sites, archaeological treasures, and some of the cleanest beaches in Europe.

One can peer at remnants of the whole spectrum of Christianity’s historical and cultural development, from its inception to today. According to the New Testament, the Cypriots were among the first to embrace Christianity, accept the truths of the Gospel, and preach it beyond the boundaries of Israel.

Here St. Paul preached and Lazarus is buried. The Apostles Paul, Barnabas and Mark (the latter two of Cypriot descent) arrived in Salamis in A.D. 45 and crossed the breadth of the island to Paphos on their first mission to spread the gospel.

One of the most important sites on the island is the Pillar of St. Paul where, according to legend, Paul was flogged before converting the Roman Governor Sergius Paulus to Christianity.

Larnaca offers St. Lazarus Church, the location of Lazarus’ tomb and earthly remains, and Agios Nikolaos Church, where kings of Jerusalem were crowned in the ancient world.

Cypriots have forged many of early Christianity’s most treasured icons, and one can find more than 90 foundations of Christian basilicas there. In the Troodos Mountains one can visit 10 Byzantine churches of great archaeological, architectural and artistic value, with superb wall paintings dating from the 11th to the 17th centuries.

Worthy of particular mention is the quaint chapel and tomb of Makarios, the first president of Cyprus, on the Throni Peak, nestled in the side of the mountain; and the magnificent Kykko Monastery, with its beautiful frescoes and paintings, extensive museum collection, and an icon of Mary and Jesus said to be painted by Luke the Apostle.

The Diocese of the Cyprus and the Gulf is one of four dioceses in the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. This diocese includes Cyprus, the Gulf Sates, Iraq and Yemen. In Cyprus the believers are primarily local residents rather than expatriates.

Seven churches are spread across the island, including four historical Anglican churches: St. Paul’s Cathedral in Nicosia; St. Helena’s in Larnaca; Ayia Kyiriaki Chrysopolitissa (better known as the Church by St. Paul’s Pillar) in Paphos; and St. Barnabas’s in Limassol.

Cyprus visitors will be mesmerized by the island’s people and will treasure fond memories of Cypriot hospitality.

Participants in this sight inspection, which was provided by the Cyprus Tourist Office, Cyprus Airways and Journeys Unlimited, were:

  • The Rev. Canon Peter Q. Golden, rector, St. Paul’s, Brooklyn, N.Y.
  • The Rev. Allister Rawlins, rector, St. George’s, West Hempstead, N.Y.
  • The Rev. Lynne Washington, vicar, Peter Paul Development Center, Richmond, Va.
  • The Rev. Matti Terho, pastor, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, St.-Laurent, Canada.
  • The Rev. Allen Robison rector, St. James, Baltimore, Md.
  • The Rev. Margaret Ingalls, rector, Transfiguration, Silver Springs, Md.
  • The Rev. Leander Ecola, Ormond, Fla.

For more information about Cyprus, visit www.visitcyprus.com or www.journeys-unlimited.com.