Church of Profitis Elias in Protaras Cyprus

The church of Profitis Elias is worth checking out, especially if you need to burn off some of those extra party pounds that you may be piling on after visiting those great restaurants and bars that Protaras is famous for. Due to the fact that you are perched on a rock 115 meters above the resort, you will be climbing approximately the same number of steps (115) to reach it. However, once at the top and as long as you survive the climb, the views are magnificent. In fact, you can see that all the small private clinics that care for heart attack victims are pretty close together.

Seriously, the panoramic views are breathtaking and on clear days you can see Famagusta. The church of Profitis Elias is named after the prophet Elijah that appears in the Old Testament of the Bible. Around the 9th century BC, God sent him to the sinful King of Israel named Ahab and his wicked wife Jezebel (now you know where that comes from) to show them the error of their ways because, among other things, they were worshiping a false God. called Baal. Unfortunately, Elijah was not received too warmly and the evil king even threatened to kill him.

So he hides in the mountains in a cave and God sends a crow every day with food in its beak. There is also a nearby stream for water, but due to a drought that Elijah prophesied about will eventually dry up. Driven out by hunger and thirst, the poor widow living alone with her only son offers refuge to the prophet. Elijah performs a miracle with the small amount of food in the house and even resurrects his son after he dies due to illness. The drought lasts for three years and many of the Israelites starve due to the nakedness of the land.

Anyway, to make a long story short, after a period of escape, Elijah returns and finally puts this false God to the test by challenging the priest to pray for fire from above to burn a sacrifice. Of course it does not happen, however, God sends fire to consume Elijah’s offering even though it is soaked with water and the Israelites turn to God. Later in his life, God decides to bring Elijah to himself without subjecting him to the pain of death and carries him on a chariot of fire. (great movie).

So there you have it, Profitis Elias is not just a church on a rock with incredible views, it is also a tribute to the prophet Elijah and there is more too. Most Cypriots are named after a saint like Michael, Peter, etc. And even, yeah, you guessed it Elias. With derivatives like elianna for girls. Every year there is a “naming day” when the icon is carried outside the church so that people can pass under it to receive the blessing of the saint. It is a time of celebration and there is a traditional market in the streets below. Overall, it is worth taking a trip to see Profitis Elias church in Protaras, Cyprus.