"The Armenian Monastery of St. Makarios" – Alexander-Michael Hadjilyra

The article by Alexander-Michael Hadjilyra is devoted to the history of the Armenian Monastery of St. Makarios (Մակարայ Վանք, Ermeni Manastırı) — one of the most important spiritual and cultural shrines of Cypriot Armenians, located in the Plataniotissa forest near Halevga, on the approaches to the occupied Pentadaktylos range.

Introduction and Methodology
The author reconstructs the centuries-long history of the monastery based on historical documents, firmans, travelers' accounts, and church sources, tracing its fate from its founding to its present state.

Founding and Early History

• The monastery was founded around 1000 by Copts in memory of St. Makarios of Alexandria;
• by 1425 it had passed into the possession of the Armenian Church;
• during the periods of Crusader and Venetian rule, the monks were known for the strictness of their monastic rule;
• under the Ottomans it received the name "Blue Monastery" (Կապոյտ Վանք) for the color of its shutters and doors.

Ties with the Armenian Diaspora and Clergy
Special attention is given to the monastery's role as a place of rest and healing for Cilician Catholicoi and clergy, including the stay here in 1695 of the future founder of the Mekhitarist Order, Mkhitar Sebastatsi. This event is commemorated by a memorial obelisk erected in 1931 to a design by the architect Garo Balyan.

Restorations and Economic Life
The author enumerates numerous repair and construction works of the 17th–20th centuries, including tax exemptions granted by firmans of 1642, 1660, and 1791, the construction of a new bell tower (1814), the laying of a road (1926), and the resolution of the water supply problem thanks to the donors Gasparian and the Maraslian family.

Role in Community Life

• a refuge for refugees after the massacres of 1894–1896 and 1909;
• functioning as a school and summer camp for orphans and scouts;
• a training site for fighters of the Armenian Legion (1917–1918);
• a traditional place of rest for Cypriot-Armenian families up until 1974.

The Fate of the Relics and the Occupation
Separately examined is the fate of the unique manuscripts (1202–1740), which were transported to Nicosia and later to the Catholicosate in Antelias, as well as the loss of icons, including the miraculous image of St. Makarios, during the Turkish invasion of 1974. The author describes the occupation of the site, its use by the Turkish authorities, the damage caused by the fire of 1996, and the failed attempts to turn the shrine into a hotel despite protests from the international community.

The Resumption of Pilgrimages
The concluding section is devoted to the restoration of access to the monastery since 2007, thanks to the efforts of Vartkes Mahdessian and the assistance of UN peacekeeping forces, which has allowed Cypriot Armenians to once again make pilgrimages to the shrine.

The article's key conclusion is that, despite its destruction and neglect, the Armenian Monastery of St. Makarios remains a living symbol of the historical memory and religious identity of Cypriot Armenians, awaiting the restoration of justice and the return of its rightful owners.