48. GEORGE, SAINT

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Near Paphos, 1 mile (1.5 km) east of Koile (Paphos district) at 520m a.s.l.

Description: The now ruinous structure was built as a very irregular domed cruciform church with semi-circular apse and semi-circular arches (as shown by the niche and arch in the north wall of the bema) in very roughly cut local stone masonry; ashlar was used, however, for the vaults and quoins, as shown by the surviving south springing of the west vault and the southwest corner of the building. A chapel / compartment with its own apse is attached to the northeast [cf. Saint George at Kouka]. Traces of early 12th-century decoration are preserved [Papageorgiou (1996) 63] on the south wall of the south arm (a saint on horse-back?) and on the soffit of the (partly collapsed) arch leading from the north cross arm into the northeast chapel.

Dating: The structure has been dated to the middle Byzantine period [MKE 4, 52]. The fresco decoration and use of round arches provide a terminus ante quem in the early and later 12th century respectively.

Later additions / alterations: The north dome arch was walled in rubble masonry presumably after the collapse of the north cross arm at an unknown date, before the collapse of the entire superstructure.