The issue of relics in late antique and early medieval Cyprus: some preliminary results through the example of the basilica on the acropolis at Amathous

This article outlines some preliminary results from a PhD study questioning the cult of relics in the basilicas of Cyprus. The aim of this doctoral research is to identify and describe the expression of the cult of relics in the churches of the island between the end of the 4th century and the Byzantine reconquest of the island in 965. A brief introduction examines the terminology relating to the cult of relics, the issues considered in the thesis and the methodology employed. The paper then focuses on specific aspects, using the example of the basilica on the acropolis of Amathous. The site, excavated by the École française d’Athènes, has not been published exhaustively, but it displays several distinctive features. In addition to a fragment of a reliquary, there are several architectural elements, in particular an annex with a richly decorated apse, suggesting the existence of spaces for displaying relics. The comparative dimension of the research, on a local and regional scale, opens up the debate on the liturgical function of these annexes, flanking numerous churches in Cyprus.