During excavations in Limassol, remnants of the Carmelite Order have been discovered

During excavations in Limassol, a possible community of the Carmelite Order has been discovered. Archaeologists believe that the finding proves the existence of the Roman Catholic religious Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel here.

The Department of Antiquities reports that the remains of the Order were presumably found during excavations around the Church of Panagia Karmiotissa in Kato Polemidia in Limassol.

The excavations were conducted in the area surrounding the church under the direction of Dr. Andreas Nicolaides and Dr. Margo Hoffelt. The project is the result of a two-year collaboration between the Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence of the Cyprus University of Technology and the CNRS Medieval and Modern Archaeology Laboratory in the Mediterranean, with the support of the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus.

According to the Department of Antiquities, this site presumably belonged to the Carmelites and was dated to the 13th century.

"The church, which still exists, if its architecture is examined, cannot be older than the 14th century," the statement says.

The ceramics collected at the intermediate level indicate that they date back to the 13th century, "confirming the settlement of this place at the time corresponding to the arrival of the Carmelites in Cyprus."

To confirm this, it is necessary to reach the underlying layers.

The Carmelites, or the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, are a Roman Catholic religious order for men and women. It was founded in the 12th century during the Crusades when a group of hermits began living in caves on Mount Carmel in northern Israel and followed the teachings of the prophet Elijah.

By 1300, the Carmelites had spread and had 150 houses in Cyprus, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, England, Scotland, and Ireland. Experts say there are few clear records of the very early history of the Carmelites.