In remote northeastern Cyprus, among palm trees outside the tiny village of Boltaşlı, travelers can find the well-preserved Byzantine basilica Panagia Kanakaria. Externally beautiful yet architecturally modest, the church reveals its rich history only upon entering. The skeletal structure of the church, which does not serve a congregation, is a blend of somber, mysterious, and unusually alive: Madonna images hang on bare walls in deteriorating frames, small candles occasionally flicker, wax figures sit quietly on windowsills, and partially preserved frescoes gaze down. Built in the 6th century, it endured periods…
