Detail from the Icon of the Birth of Christ, Christmas Issue Icon, Republic of Cyprus

Detail from the Icon of the Birth of Christ, Christmas Issue Icon, Republic of Cyprus

Postage stamps--Cyprus--History

Γραμματόσημα--Κύπρος--Ιστορία

The scene of the Annunciation of the Birth of Christ to the shepherds by an angel, forms part of the icon (seen in full in the miniature sheet) from the Monastery of Chrysorroyiatissa (golden pomegranate), which was founded in 1152 by a hermit called Ignatius. The monastery lies 25.6 km south of Stavros-tis-Psokas in the Paphos district. The icon is the work of the Cypriot iconographer Parthenios and dates from the first half of the 19th century. Apart from icons and relics, the monastery possesses a holy shroud dedicated to the Mother of God surnamed Chrysorroyiatissa and dated 1797. An 1801 engraving by John Cornaros, an eminent iconographer of Crete, depicts the story of Ignatius and the icon of the Virgin Mary believed to have been one of seventy icons painted by Saint Luke, and which he had found on the seashore of Paphos. Ignatius believed that the iconoclasts had cast the icon into the sea that it had miraculously turned up on the shores of Cyprus.

Cyprus Post, Republic of Cyprus

Κυπριακά Ταχυδρομεία, Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία

Cyprus Post, Republic of Cyprus

Κυπριακά Ταχυδρομεία, Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία

Library of Cyprus University of Technology

Digital Heritage Research Lab of Cyprus University of Technology

11th November 2004

Designer: S. Malecos

Απαγορεύεται η δημοσίευση ή αναπαραγωγή, ηλεκτρονική ή άλλη χωρίς τη γραπτή συγκατάθεση του δημιουργού.

www.cypruspost.gov.cy

TIFF

EL, EN

Image

2004-CHRISTMAS-40

35.160417, 33.346556

Alex Matsoukis, Athens