Nestorian Church of St George the Exiler

The Nestorians, whose theological views had been considered heresy since the Council of Ephesus in 431, found refuge in Cyprus in the late 12th century after Saladin's reconquest of Christian territories. According to the chronicler Leontios Machairas, the church was founded around 1359 by Lachas, a Nestorian merchant. The structure survived the Ottoman conquest unharmed and was acquired in 1905 by the Greek Orthodox community in Old Famagusta, who dedicated it to Saint George. Following the intercommunal unrest of 1957, the Greek community left the old town. Today, Holy Communion is celebrated in the church once a month.

The Nestorian Church is located in Famagusta, in the Gazimağusa district, in Northern Cyprus on the island of Cyprus. It stands at an elevation of approximately 15 meters above sea level.

Inside, fragmentary figural representations in the Italian style of the 14th and 15th centuries, as well as Syriac inscriptions, are preserved on the walls and columns. The structure, originally a single-nave building, was later expanded with side aisles and a campanile.