St. Barnabas Monastery

About

The monastery of Saint Barnabas (or Ayios Barnabas) was a church on the island of Cyprus, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) west of Constantia. Today the site is in Northern Cyprus and functions as a museum. The original shrine church was founded in the late fifth century, perhaps in 477, when the Emperor Zeno financed the construction of a basilica near the spot where the body of Barnabas was discovered by Archbishop Anthemius.

Funding was also provided by local notables. The church had a timber roof and included stoas, gardens, aqueducts, and hostels intended for receiving pilgrims. It may have been expected that pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem might stop in Constantia and visit the shrine.

The sixth-century Laudatio Barnabae describes the new tomb of Barnabas as decorated with silver and marble. It also attested the existence of a monastic community living beside the shrine. The relics were eventually moved to the basilica of Saint Epiphanius in Constantia.

Two buildings were added to the complex during the reign of Justinian I (527–565) by the next archbishop, Philoxenos, who left a short inscription recording his work. In the late seventh century, the basilica was destroyed during Arab...