One of the most pious Christian virtues of all Cypriots is the worship of the Virgin Mary, in honour of which, dedicated to the magnificent monastery of Kykkos, which was founded at the end of the 11th century. There, the Byzantines carried the apostolic and miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, which was named \"Kykkiotisa\". The monastery of Kykkos was chosen as the \"Residence of the Virgin Mary\" of Kykkiotissa, where at times it appears in the visible world through the miracles, assuring her presence among us.
The Holy Monastery of Kykkos is located in the western part of the Troodos mountain range, only 18 kilometres from the highest mountain of Cyprus, Mount Olympus. It is built at an altitude of 1200 meters, amidst lush vegetation of shrubs and trees. This location offers peace and tranquillity that are prerequisites for the unmistakable dedication of the monks to pray and exercise.
According to tradition, around 1100 AD the Byzantine commander of Cyprus, ruler Manuel Voutomitis, went for hunting but was lost in the Troodos forests. After wandering for a long time, he met an old hermit, Isaiah. The lord pointed out very bad behaviour because the ascetic, who avoided anything secular, was unwilling to serve him, nor did he respond to his questions.
Then, Vutomitis found his way and returned to Nicosia, where he fell severely ill. He felt that his attitude to the ascetic was the reason he became ill, and so he immediately sent his servants to find him. When they led him in front of him, Vutomitis apologized with humility to the elderly monk. Then, in response, he prayed for the lord\'s healing.
Soon the Vutomitis felt better and promised Isaiah that he would give him whatever he was asking for. This holy man, following the Divine commandment, pleaded Vutomitis to bring from Constantinople the icon of the Virgin, one of the three creations of the Evangelist Luke. The Byzantine governor hesitated because he was afraid that it was impossible to persuade the emperor of Byzantium Alexios Komninos to grant the Holy icon that was kept in the palace. However, he took Isaiah with him and travelled to Constantinople. There they found the king in great sorrow, since his single daughter was heavily ill with the same illness, which had hit the Vutomitis. Then they appeared in front of him in person. Isaiah, with all the power of his faith, prayed to God and finally the daughter was healed completely. Then they explained to the emperor that it was God\'s will to bring the Holy Image to the Troodos Mountains. For Alexios Komninos it was not easy to separate the precious heirloom. Only when he was hit by the same sickness, he realized that it was a divine commandment to give the Image. In fact, he not only handed over the image, but also gave the money needed to build the monastery, in which he would place the image.
Isaiah, with great pride and joy, transferred the Image to Cyprus, where the people welcomed him with great emotion and reverence and accompanied him from the coast to the mountains of Troodos. At the same time, the Voutomite arrived on the island and handed over to Isaiah the imperial chrysobulls, which proclaimed the Monastery to Stavropegic. The maintenance of the Monastery would be made by the incomes of the villages of Peristerona, Milon and Milikouri.
The earliest existing historical record of Kykkos is a document of 1136 and relates to the purchase of a book by the abbot Daniel of that time. The rest of the information about the first years of the monastery\'s life and the entire Byzantine period are derived from references to later texts. Although these testimonies are indirect, we are convinced of its remarkable effect on the spiritual life of the place. Typical evidence is the hagiography of icons trying to imitate the icon of Virgin of Kykkos. Such images are now preserved in mount Sinai and Lower Italy.
