Church of Saint Lazarus, Larnaca: A Byzantine Orthodox Church
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.8
- Popularity
- High
- Country
- Cyprus
- Primary era
- Medieval
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval, Early Modern, Modern
- Civilizations
- British, Byzantine, Kingdom of Cyprus, Ottoman, Venetian
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Church
On this page8 sections
History
The Church of Saint Lazarus is a ninth-century Orthodox church in Cyprus, built in the Byzantine period and dedicated to Lazarus of Bethany. It belongs to the Metropolis of Kition, the diocesan jurisdiction of the Church of Cyprus. The church stands over a tomb traditionally associated with Lazarus, whom the Gospel tradition says was raised from the dead by Jesus Christ.
Lazarus and the foundation of the church
Eastern Christian tradition holds that Lazarus left Judea after Christ’s Resurrection because of persecution and reached Cyprus in AD 33. The apostles Paul and Barnabas are said to have appointed him the first bishop of Kition, the ancient name of Larnaca, in AD 45. According to the same tradition, he died there a second time in AD 63, after living for another thirty years.
Lazarus’s tomb was traditionally believed to have been lost during Arab rule in the mid-seventh century. In 890, a tomb in Larnaca was found with the inscription “Lazarus the Four-Days-Dead, Friend of Christ.” By order of the Byzantine emperor Leo VI, who ruled from 886 to 912, Lazarus’s remains were transferred to Constantinople in 898 and placed in the Church of the Righteous Lazarus. The transfer became an Orthodox feast, observed on 17/30 October. The church at Larnaca was built over the tomb in the late ninth or early tenth century.
Catholic and Ottoman transformations
During the Crusades, between 1204 and 1291, part of Lazarus’s relics was moved from Constantinople to Marseille. From this tradition developed the belief that Lazarus preached in France, became bishop of Marseille, and was buried at the site of the future Saint Lazarus Cathedral in Autun.
Between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries, when the Lusignan dynasty and then Venice ruled Cyprus, the church belonged to the Roman Catholic Church. The Lusignans were a Western European dynasty that governed the medieval Kingdom of Cyprus. The Franks converted the building into a Benedictine monastery, and it was later held by Armenian Catholics.
In 1571, during the first years of Ottoman rule, the church was converted into a mosque. Its three domes and bell tower were destroyed during this transformation. The building was sold to the Orthodox Church in 1589. For the next two centuries it served both Orthodox and Catholic worship, although Catholic services continued only until 1794.
Restoration and continuing devotion
After Ottoman rule in Cyprus ended, permission was granted in 1857 to rebuild a bell tower beside the church. The building’s later history also included serious damage. A fire in 1970 severely affected its painted and gilded interior. During repairs in November 1972, workers found a marble sarcophagus beneath the altar containing human remains. These were identified as relics of Saint Lazarus, supporting the belief that his remains had not all been transferred to Constantinople.
Lazarus remains central to the church’s religious life. On Lazarus Saturday, the Saturday before Palm Sunday in the Eastern Christian calendar, an icon of Saint Lazarus is carried through the streets of Larnaca in a ceremonial procession. The observance commemorates the raising of Lazarus by Jesus.
Remains
The church has an elongated rectangular plan and combines Byzantine architectural traditions with later Gothic, Baroque, and Rococo elements. A three-sided apse forms the eastern termination near the altar. Inside, a substantial double colonnade divides the building into three naves, the longitudinal sections of the worship space, with arched openings between the columns.
Exterior and later additions
The original church was crowned by three domes and had a bell tower on its southeastern side. Both the domes and the tower were destroyed when the building became a mosque in 1571. A replacement bell tower was constructed beside the church in 1857. A massive Gothic-style portico was also added on the south side during the period of Roman Catholic ownership, giving the Byzantine building a later medieval architectural feature.
The tomb beneath the altar
A cave-tomb identified as Lazarus’s tomb lies beneath the altar, to the right of the altar area. Seven steps lead down to its entrance, and the cave measures approximately 6 by 12 metres. Lazarus’s relics are described as lying in the middle of the tomb. They include his head and half of his bones, while the other half were transferred to Constantinople and later taken to Marseille.
The marble sarcophagus found beneath the altar during the 1972 repairs contained human remains identified as relics of Saint Lazarus. Its discovery forms part of the physical and devotional interpretation of the underground tomb and the church built above it.
Iconostasis and interior decoration
The church contains a Baroque iconostasis, a decorated screen separating the sanctuary from the main worship space in many Eastern Christian churches. It was produced between 1773 and 1782 and contains 120 Byzantine-style icons. The screen was later gilded and painted, contributing to the painted and gilded interior that was severely damaged by the 1970 fire.
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