The church is situated 1 mile (1.5 km) west of Sotera (Famagusta district), on the site of a medieval settlement. The existence of the latter is suggested by the small concentration of middle Byzantine churches on the site: Saint George and Saint Theodore of Chortakia. A monastery of ‘Chordakion’ is reported on the site in the Ottoman period [Kyprianos (1788) 392; Kyriazes (1950) 158-59].
Description: The dome-hall structure with slightly pointed arches and vaults was built in roughly cut ashlar masonry, althoguh good ashlar was used for the arches supporting the dome.
Dating: Probably late 12th century [MKE 14, 73; Procopiou (2006a) 75], although other datings have also been proposed: 10th-12th century [Soteriou (1931a) 484], or 14th-century and 16th-c. [Stylianou (1996) 1234; Gunnis (1936) 386].
Later additions / alterations: The gargoyles on the west and east façades, the cornice around the gables and the west door probably date from later medieval times.
Modern repairs: The plastering of the interior was reported in the 1930s, covering the frescoes [Gunnis (1936) 386, who calls the church ‘BVM Kourdhali’]. The repairs to the masonry, which started in 1945 (removal of plaster?), continued in the late 1950s [ARDA 1958, 14, 1959, 15].
Early literature: Mentioned by Jeffery as ‘Panayia Khortakiotissa’ [Jeffery (1918) 227].
Plan / section: Soteriou (1935) 47 [the window over the north door has been omitted in the section that shows round instead of slightly pointed arches]; Procopiou (2006a) 78-81.