St Nicholas of the Cats

The monastery of Agios Nikolaos ton Gaton stands near the salt lake on the Akrotiri peninsula, and its story is that in the fourth century Saint Helena, finding the peninsula overrun with snakes during a drought, had a shipload of cats brought from Egypt and Palestine to deal with them. The monastery kept the tradition and still keeps cats, dozens of them, fed by the nuns and wandering the courtyard. The buildings themselves are largely later, with medieval fabric surviving in parts.

What you actually see

• The cats - dozens living in and around the monastery, fed by the community.
• The courtyard - the monastic yard with medieval fabric in the walls.
• The church - the monastery chapel, rebuilt over earlier foundations.
• The setting - flat peninsula country between the salt lake and the sea.

When to go

October to May is comfortable; the peninsula is very hot in summer. The monastery keeps a long midday closure. Feeding time in the late afternoon is when most of the cats appear.

Honest expectations

The buildings are modest and the visit is short. The cat population is large and not all of the animals are in good condition. Modest dress is required and the nuns ask for quiet.

Nearby

Akrotiri Salt Lake is alongside, and Limassol is northeast.