Who was Ayios Mamas?

Ayios Mamas was born in Paphlagonia, a region north of modern day Ankara and close to the Black Sea. He was the son of eminent Christians Theodotus and Rufina who lived during the reign of emperor Aurilianos, who carried out a systematic campaign against Christians (270-275 AD). They were arrested and imprisoned in Caesarea of Cappadocia, where Rufina, who was pregnant at the time, gave birth to Mamas though her husband died before he could see his newborn son. His mother died soon afterwards and Mamas was raised by a lady called Ammia Matrona. Mamas grew up a committed Christian but was arrested and brought to trial by Governor Democritus. But the governor was reluctant to subject Mamas to torture and had him sent to Emperor Aurelius who tried to force him to abandon his faith. However, the Saint fearlessly confessed himself to be a Christian, something which angered the emperor who subjected him to cruel tortures.

According to some reports, the Saint was finally killed at the age of 15 while others said he was rescued by an Angel when the emperor tried to drown him.

A Cypriot icon portrays St Mamas riding a lion while holding a stick in his right hand and a sheep in his left arm. According to local tradition, when St Mamas was a monk living in a cave he was arrested by the authorities because he refused to pay his taxes. As he was led to court, they came across a lion chasing a sheep. He asked the lion to stop and to go to him. The animal did and the Saint rode on the lion’s back, holding the sheep in his arm, all the way to the court.

When the judge saw this, he ordered his release and granted him tax immunity. St Mamas gave the sheep to the judge as a gift.

The original Morphou church was Byzantine but it was rebuilt around 1500 when a Gothic-style building emerged. It was again rebuilt in the 18th century and a large dome was added. The upper part of the 16th century iconostasis is carved from wood and painted in blue and gold. Its lower part is carved in marble and features figs, grapes, acorns and Venetian shields, which once bore painted coats of arms.
The church also contains the Saint’s sarcophagus.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.