The Ayia Napa research project began in 2011 at Freie Universität Berlin as a practice-oriented initiative in teaching and research. Its aim was and remains to study the history, art history, and architecture of the Ayia Napa Monastery and to contribute to the development and creation of a museum within the monastic compound. In its heyday, the monastery housed a famous icon of the Ever-Virgin Mary and was an important place of worship within Cyprus and beyond, visited by both Orthodox and Catholic pilgrims. Our research focuses on the buildings of the complex, as well as written sources relating to the history of the monastery, in particular archival documents and travel accounts.

Building on our research findings, we seek to make this history tangible by highlighting and interpreting archaeological and local finds, as well as architectural elements of the monastery. These objects will form the core of an emerging museum within the monastic compound. The initiative also aims to provide educational benefits, expand learning opportunities, enrich the local community and attract visitors from across Cyprus. At the same time, it supports international research and teaching in Mediterranean history and culture.

Since its inception, the project has been under the aegis of the Holy Metropolis of Constantia and Ammochostos and the “Saint Epiphanios” Cultural Academy and has been carried out in cooperation with the Department of Antiquities of the Republic of Cyprus and the Ayia Napa Municipality of. The project is under the scientific responsibility of Freie Universität Berlin and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.

Key aspects of the project include networking and collaboration with international scholars and local research institutions, as well as the production of academic publications. Over the course of the project, research results have been presented at conferences in Nicosia, Paralimni, and Münster, with some results already published.