ABOUT THE CHURCH

The Church of Profitis Elias, a church of basilical plan, dates back to the second half of the 19th or early 20th Century and is situated in the village of Fyllia/Serhatköy. It is covered by a series of two cross-vaults and consists of rubble masonry and limited use of porous stone, mostly on the door frames and the shrine of the external west wall. Externally, the walls are reinforced by a serles of three buttresses on the north and south sides. The apse of the bema on the east is semi-circular, both internally and externally.

THE CONSERVATION PROJECT

Profitis Elias Church was selected as part of the priority intervention emergency projects of the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage and in March 2014 was elevated to a full conservation project. During the extended conservation works conducted from 2013-2015, the west cross-vault, that had collapsed, was restored. Emergency measures to protect, restore and preserve the stonework and architectural features in their present state (stabilisation of the ruin) were implemented and measures were taken to secure the site as well as upgrading of the surrounding area (fencing and landscaping of the site). Dazens of former Greek Cypriot residents and members of the diplomatic community attended the completion ceremony on 17 November 2015.