Agios Trias Basilica – Northern Cyprus heritage (13)

Northern Cyprus Heritage - Agios Trias Basilica 0

Agios Trias Basilica

5th/6th century rests of the Agios Trias Basilica are found on the peninsula of the Northern Cypriot Karpaz close to the village of Sipahi which means: in the middle of nowhere. We were the only visitors but there was a most friendly guard who was happy to sell us a ticket for 5 TL, at that moment € 1,90 (it was before the 2015 elections, after which the Turkish lira devaluated). So the entrance price should not stop you from visiting Agios Trias Basilica and moreover the mosaics are very much worth a visit, they are amazing!
Northern Cyprus Heritage - Agios Trias Basilica 1  Northern Cyprus Heritage - Agios Trias Basilica 2  Northern Cyprus Heritage - Agios Trias Basilica 3  Northern Cyprus Heritage - Agios Trias Basilica 4  Northern Cyprus Heritage - Agios Trias Basilica5  Northern Cyprus Heritage - Agios Trias Basilica6
A great article with lots of information about this site can be found here: http://allansartworlds.sites.ucsc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/154/2015/03/Langdale-Basilica-of-Agias-Trias.pdf. This article published in 2009 talks about ‘lack of proper maintenance (page 2). Things have only got worse since that time. The unique mosaics lie there completely unprotected and this is not all… (reliable) rumour goes that the mosaics are regularly ‘cleaned’ with a high pressure washer.
In an earlier blog I wrote that the Greeks consider the Turks as barbarians – for the way they deal with their heritage and that sometimes they are proven right in that opinion. This is one of those times, that they are proven right. I thought I’d faint when I heard about the high pressure washer…
Anyway this monument Agios Trias Basilica is still extremely beautiful with its unique mosaics so I’d hardly recommend a visit. Positive thinking: it might be one of the only moments you can actually and freely walk over 5th/6th century mosaics and live the feelings of people who did the same many centuries ago.

Blogs about Mosaic Museums:
Vesunna Museum Périgueux France
Bardo Museum Tunis, Tunisia
Zeugma Museum Gaziantep, Turkey