CHURCHES/CHAPELS

After the 1974 Turkish Invasion, several families of refugees -coming from the occupied areas of Cyprus -inhabited the Turkish-Cypriot village Mari of the Limassol District. There was no Christian church in the village and so the people searched for some place to perform their religious obligations. The raising of a church upon Turkish-Cypriot land was not allowed and so the Local Authority of the community, in collaboration with the Holy See of Kition, began the raising of a prefabricated Church for that purpose.
When the church was completed, Father Papanastasiou Papacostas - from the occupied village of Kythrea -assumed the duties of Minister.
The church is dedicated to St. Marina and St. Spiridonas.
Today the church has expanded, been repaired and enriched with new icons. Also, the church precinct has been shaped and the surrounding area has been planted with trees.
The parish priest of the church is father Ttofas Papageorgiou, a refugee from the occupied village of Leonarisso.

The country church of Agia Marina

In the centre of the community there is the noteworthy Church of Agia Marina. The Community Council, in collaboration with the Department of Antiquities, will proceed with the re-erection and maintenance of this remarkable Mediaeval structure.

The country church of Agia Mavri

North of the community there are remains of ruins from the country church of Agia Mavri. There is no information on the history of the country church. The Community Council will collaborate with various donors for the making of a new country church.

The country church of Agia Eleni and Agios Constantinos

Another small but noteworthy country church is that of Agia Eleni and Agios Constantinos, found a little bit outside the village, over a small hill next to the beach.
The Vasiliko Cement Industry built the church around 1995. It is a small country church made of stone and is dedicated to St. Helen because there lies "Vasilopotamos" (Royal River) that -according to tradition -is the landing place where St. Helen arrived in Cyprus, transferring Holy Wood (part from the Holy Cross) to the Stavrovouni monastery. Worth noting is the icon screen of the country church, carved out of wood and made in the Stavrovouni monastery. Mr Paschalis Paschalides, former executive president of the Vasiliko Cement Industry, personally assumed the cost for the making of the icon screen.