On the right bank of the River Karfotis, in a tree-lined mountainous area, just outside the village of Kakopetria, lies the church dedicated to Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis.

Since 1985, along with nine other frescoed Byzantine churches of Troodos, it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site List.

It belongs to the architectural type of the engraved cross-dome-shaped dome and the double-faced wooden roof, which was later added, gave it the name of “the shelter”, since the 13th century. Subsequent interventions altered the church’s original appearance and resulted in the destruction of important frescoes.

Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis is rightly described as a museum of Byzantine art. Its most ancient frescoes date back to the 11th century and are the most important of this time that survive on the island. They include scenes of the Dodecanor, Lazarus’ Exaltation, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, individual figures, etc. The last phase of the frescoes dates back to 1633 and includes the apostles Peter and Paul, who adorn the eastern pillars that support the dome, near the iconostasis dating back to the 17th century.