Yeroskipou

The place Geroskipou (Greek Γεροσκήπου ), also Geroskipos is located a few kilometers east of Ktima on the road to Limassol between the ancient harbor of Nea Paphos and the Sanctuary of Aphrodite Kouklia in Cyprus. The city had in the census in 2001 5509 inhabitants and 2005 already 5769 inhabitants. It is located in the district of Paphos.

History

The name refers to a former importance: " Hieros kipos " means sacred grove or garden, " Gero kipos " (old school). The town was first mentioned by Strabo. Maybe there was a Sanctuary of Aphrodite in Geroskipos. Often the goddess were also called Aphrodite s kipois (Garden Aphrodite ), dedicated to sacred groves, as in Tamassos, Myrikai and Idalion. Dotted around the village there are remains of ancient buildings. Corinthian capitals flank the entrances to the courtyard of the church of Agia Paraskevi.

Church of Agia Paraskevi

Built in the center of village in the 9th century church of Agia Paraskevi with its five domes in addition to the churches of the saints Barnabas and Hilarion in Peristerona the third of this type in Cyprus. Their plan goes back to the time of Justinian built St. John's Church in Ephesus and the Church of the Apostles in Constantinople Opel. The three-nave Agia Paraskevi Church is divided internally by walls that carry the domes. Above the nave are three domes, the middle is flanked by the two above the aisles, giving the impression of a cross-shaped facility is being built. Up to the apse of the central nave zoom ranging, the south aisle to the east is affiliated with a domed chapel, which was probably a Martyrion earlier, a building in a place that stood with their lives or the relic of a saint or martyr in close relationship. The southeast corner of the church determined a 1886 erbauter bell tower. The narthexartige western part was built in the 19th century for participating in the worship women and 1931 increased. The extraordinarily thick walls bear murals inside. The oldest remains are aniconic, purely decorative motifs dating back to the period of iconoclasm in the 9th century. Above that is a layer of frescoes from the 12th century, from a Death of the Virgin on the north wall of the naos is the best preserved. Most frescoes date from the 15th century and have stories from the New Testament to the object. From the same time the most important icon (14th - 15th century), a representation of the Panagia Geroskipiotissa, on the one hand, a Crucifixion on the other side has been supporting.

Folklore Museum

The Folklore Museum of Geroskipos ( in the house of Hadji Smith Zymboulakis ) is the former residence of 1799 by Admiral Sir Sidney Smith appointed British Consul of Paphos, Andreas Zymboulakis. In 1826, his son followed after, who took the name of the patron. According to him, the house is named. Apart from its rich ethnographic content, it offers one of the purest examples of Cypriot folk architecture.