A small chapel on the north of the village of Vavla is dedicated to Panagia tis Agapis (Our Lady of Love). It is the only church in Cyprus as well as in the entire world that exists with this name.
It is built 3 kilometres away from the village and on the east side of the river of Agios Minas, it receives many visitors. It is a 1934 construction, it is stone built and it has a wooden roof.
The icon of Our Lady is found in the church of the village of Vavla for security reasons, since someone stole it for some reason and put it outside of the big church of the village, and after they rung the bell, they were lost in the dark. The residents of the village ran to the church, where they found the icon.
The icon of Panagia Tis Agapis is dated in the 16th century A.D and it has the ability to perform miracles. It is said that if a girl does not get response from the one she loves, then she goes to the small chapel and gets some sand from it that is found behind the aisle. She should throw this sand secretly into his coffee and if he drinks it, then everything changes. He falls in love with her and in a small period of time he takes her to church as his bride.
Where can the chapel of Panagia Tis Agapis be found? After the petrol station in Choirokoitia, you should follow the road to Vavla. After you leave the turn for the village behind you, you go on straight for another 200 metres where you will find a sign taking you to the right saying “Panagia tis Agapis”. You follow the indications and in another 100 metres another sign takes you to the left. You follow the turn on your left and in less than 10 minutes you will get to the chapel.
The road at some points is intensely downhill and uphill and as you go on it becomes narrower and narrower. However, it is a route that is parallel to the riverbed, where you can stop and admire the deep gorges that the river created. The bed at many points is lost under the leaves of the aquatic trees and bushes. From the chapel there is a small road that takes you to a beautiful view of the river, where absolute peace and calmness prevail, that will pass on to you the songs of the melodious birds that compete with the purl of water.
Watch the video of our visit:
