On the mountain of Koroni, next to the abandoned Turkish Cypriot village “Agioi Iliofotoi”, a chapel is found built dedicated to five brothers who became Saints due to their monk life. Agioi Iliofotoi were among 300 Alamano monks that arrived in Cyprus, after being persecuted by the Orthodox monasteries during the second crusade.
The five brothers, Iliofotos, Epaphroditos, Ammonios, Chouleleos and Eusthenios were found in a ship that cast ashore of Paphos. They followed the path of Agios Pavlos and they ended up in the mountain of Koroni. They found the appropriate location on the peak of the mountain and built their monasteries.
Two of them were shepherds and thus they dealt with agriculture. In a very short period of time, the number of their animals increased at a great rate. Their reputation quickly spread and soon people from many areas of the island started visiting them. The brothers gave their visitors a part of the goods their flocks gave them.
The reputation that the five Saints lived on the peak of Koroni, arrived to Savvinos, who at that time governed the lives of the Cypriots and invited them to his castle. He asked them to deny their faith and they did not accept. He commanded his men to whip them. This did not give the result he expected. He then commanded to behead the brothers.
Faithful Christians took the dead bodies of the Saints and buried them in two caves. They remained forgotten in the caves for years, when suddenly strange incidents started to happen in the area of that area. The people searched for the source of these phenomena and found the Holy relics. Thus, they built a church in that place.
As time went by, the church was transformed into a Monastery, that was called “Pano Moni”. The Monastery was destroyed and abandoned by its monks. Today, only the Church is saved out of the whole construction.
Different sources of potable water are found in the area, which are connected on the underground and all of them end up in the same point. You can hear the water run, but you cannot see it.
They are celebrated on the 13th of July.
