Orthodox Parables and Stories: The Cypriot Cat Monastery

On St. Nicholas Day, how can you not remember the Cypriot cat monastery?

The Monastery of St. Nicholas of the cats is considered one of the most ancient monasteries in Cyprus. In order not to confuse it with other monasteries dedicated to this saint, it is sometimes called the monastery of St. Nicholas Koshatnik (Agios Nikolaos ton Gaton Monastery - Mοναστήρι του Αγίου Νικολάου των Γάτων). "Cat's" monastery. Cyprus.

This is what a beautiful and unusual legend tells us ...
By the beginning of the 4th century, a terrible 17-year drought occurred on the island, as a result of which a huge number of snakes threatened human lives. A place near the city of Limassol, all along the salt lake, located in the immediate vicinity of the city on the Akrotiri peninsula, was swarming with venomous snakes. Local residents in fear left the island.

At this very time, the holy queen Elena, mother of the emperor Constantine the Great, went to the Holy Land in search of the Cross of the Lord. On the way back home, already having found the Cross, she visited Cyprus. Returning to Constantinople, St. Helena ordered to deliver a thousand cats to the island from Egypt and Asia Minor to fight dangerous reptiles. The supervision of the cats was entrusted to the monks. They built a small temple on Akrotiri, around which later a monastery arose. Since the main occupation of the peninsula's population was fishing and navigation, the temple was consecrated in honor of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of seamen and fishermen.

People say that cats have coped well with the task. They multiplied rapidly, and a few years later the island was cleared of snakes. Since then, cats have become revered animals in Cyprus.

The original monastery was built in 327 AD, by Kalokeros, the first Byzantine governor of Cyprus, and patronised by Saint Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great. At that time, a terrible drought affected the whole of Cypus, and the entire island was overrun with poisonous snakes which made building the monastery a dangerous affair. Many of the inhabitants left their homes and moved off the island, for fear of the snakes.

In the following years, the cats did their duty, hunting and killing most of the snakes in the Akrotiri Peninsula, which soon came to be known as the “Cat Peninsula”. The monks would use a bell to call the cats to the monastery at meal time, and then the felines were dispatched to their snake-hunting duties. Pilgrims from all around Europe traveled to the Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas to see its feline guardians, and the discovered documents of a Venetian monk describe them as scarred, missing various body parts, some completely blind as a result of their relentless battle against the snakes.

According to the writings of Father Stephen de Lusignan, in 1580, the Byzantine monks at the Monastery of Saint Nicholas were awarded the surrounding lands, on one condition – they had to take care of at least 100 cats and feed them at least twice a day. Legend has it, the cats were so well trained they knew that when the bell rang once they had to go hunting for snakes, and when it rang a second time, it was meal time at the monastery.

During the Turkish invasion, the Monastery of Saint Nicholas of Cats was completely destroyed and its residing monks slaughtered or taken into captivity. Left without food and shelter, the cats left and wandered around the island, which explains the large number of cats currently living in Cyprus. Even now, locals appreciate their help in getting rid of the snakes centuries ago, and take good care of them, even if they’re strays.

After being rebuilt and abandoned several times, the modern history of the Monastery of Saint Nicholas of Cats began in 1983, when it was assigned to a group of nuns. When they arrived there wasn’t a cat in sight, but the number of snakes was once again overwhelming, so they did exactly what Saint Helena did over 1,500 years ago – they brought in a couple of cats. Their numbers grew, over the years, and there are now six nuns at the monastery and over 70 felines. Many people bring abandoned cats to this place, and the nuns take them in.

Local fishermen to ensure that luck accompanies them throughout the year, on the day of the feast of St. Nicholas they give all their catch to the monastic cats.