North Cyprus Alter at Pighades
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Travel Leisure -> subcategory Travel Tips.
North Cyprus Sanctuary at Pigadhes
Introduction
The Bronze Age sanctuary at Pigadhes in North Cyprus dates back to around 1600 B.C. During the upheaval around 1300 B.C., refugees from Crete fled to this sanctuary, bringing with them the Horns of Consecration, a significant religious symbol. Imagine you can hear the thoughts of a Cretan Priestess of the Great Goddess as she prepares for a sacred festival.
Historical Context
Pigadhes witnessed significant historical shifts around 1300 B.C. as the People of the Sea attacked regions across the eastern Mediterranean, including North Africa, Crete, and the Levant. Known as the Peleset by the Egyptians and the Philistines in the Bible, they overran these areas, though Egypt managed to resist them. During this tumultuous time, the Horns of Consecration, prominent in Crete, were introduced to Cyprus by Cretan refugees.
The Sanctuary Experience
The present-day sanctuary allows visitors to explore the foundations of a sacred courtyard featuring a well and a towering altar adorned with the Horns of Consecration. Here, we delve into the imagined reflections of a Cretan Priestess preparing for a festival.
A Priestess’s Reflections
In exile, far from our homeland of Crete, we brought only the clothes on our backs. Fleeing from the People of the Sea, who now control Knossos and our coastal strongholds, we fear their eventual arrival in Cyprus, our temporary refuge.
Yet today, the fields are alive with blooming poppies. This sacred land is our sanctuary, where we’ve built a dormitory, a school, and a dancing ground. The dancing ground, marked by a low wall, welcomes believers to enter and witness our sacred rituals. A central well quenches our thirst as we practice the sacred dance, and mementoes here honor those who have returned to the Goddess.
The local people revere this place as sacred to their goddess. We tell them the Goddess is universal, yet mutual belief remains elusive.
Rituals and Beliefs
In Crete, we worshipped on hilltops, but here, suspicion prevents us from sharing such heights. The locals fear we might signal pirates, though we seek only peace. Our lives are now entwined with healing, writing, and the Goddess.
During today’s festival, we will dance around the altar, slowly at first, spinning and turning, our skirts flaring with each move. As drums beat and pipes play, we will feel the Goddess’s presence, as tangible as the morning mist over fields.
With each turn, the rhythm?"once slow as trees swaying in a storm?"quickens. We drink wine, blessed by the earth, and feel the weight of our gilded headdresses. The sun moves west, alternating light and shadow, guiding our intricate dance steps honed through years of training.
Divine Connection
As the rhythm intensifies, we spin faster, enveloped in alternating brilliance and darkness. The Goddess arrives, standing between the horns of consecration on the altar. We whirl like leaves in a vortex, she remains our universe’s calm center.
This divine encounter, timeless yet fleeting, leaves us breathless. We collapse, questioning the reality of our flight and vision. Were we truly in her presence?
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The sanctuary at Pigadhes remains a testament to resilience and faith, a place where the echoes of ancient rituals and beliefs continue to inspire modern visitors.
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