CHURCH OF SAINT GEORGE OF ELLINON (RUINS)

This monumental structure was the Orthodox cathedral of medieval Famagusta, having been built with the aim of rivalling in size and splendour the adjacent Latin cathedral of Saint Nicholas. Its architecture combines in a unique way the Byzantine tradition with western Gothic elements, as its large arches and its tall buttresses demonstrate. During the Ottoman siege in 1571, the church received fierce cannon fire that caused the collapse of its roof and its dome. Today it survives as an imposing ruin within the old city, preserving on its wounded walls some rare examples of medieval wall paintings.