View PDF version of this page

building, and faced the exterior courtyard, which wa l inclosed upon two sides of the square, in the centrJ of which was an arched entrance to the inner court» This doorway was beneath a covered gallery, and th4 ground floor formed a well-protected verandah, frorqj which a magnificent view was commanded down thl great gorge towards Phyni, overlooking the lowen mountain tops to a sea horizon beyond the peninsula of Akrotiri and the salt lake of Limasol. The covered gallery above this verandah was supl ported by stone pillars with exceedingly rude capitali upon which long beams of the native pines, laid horij zontally, supported the joists and floors. It was a dulil and dirty abode, and at first sight I was disappointed! The angle of the mountain in which the monastery stood was formed by a ravine which intercepted thâj principal gorge at almost a right angle, thus a patbj which continued at the same level from the courtyar<$| to the other side of the ravine, represented the letter VI •laid horizontally. From the walnut-tree across thl broad base of the letter would be about a hundreds yards, to a series of cultivated terraces upon an equaM level. This might have been made a lovely station, as nl less than three springs of water issued from the mountain side in various positions : the first already mentioned ; the second on the further side of the letter V, beneath another splendid walnut-tree ; and thè third upon the same level beyond, which fell intotrough beneath a large trellis, upon which some vines were trained to produce a shade. The terraces formed an angular amphitheatre, the outer courtyard of the monastery being the highest level, looking down upon tree-tops of planes and pines!

View PDF version of this page