Cave Church of Agios Georgios in Akrini
The cave church of Agios Georgios in Akrini is one of the area’s most distinctive religious monuments and is certainly worth a visit. Nestled within a natural cave, it offers a unique atmosphere where the tranquillity of the landscape blends with the spiritual character of the site. Dating back to the Ottoman period, the chapel is closely associated with local tradition. According to oral accounts, the area’s Muslim inhabitants not only respected the shrine but also believed in the miracles of Agios Georgios (Saint George). Before leaving the area in 1923, they are said to have asked that the chapel remain unharmed, while another local tradition recounts that heavenly chants and mysterious sounds were often heard from within the cave. The church celebrates both the feast day of Agios Georgios and the Feast of the Ascension, attracting pilgrims and visitors from across the region. A short distance below the cave church, you will also find the newer shrine dedicated to the Saint, built in the 1980s by Paraskevas Tsaousidis on the site of an earlier chapel.
