One of the most important historical/ religious sites on the entire island of Cyprus is the Church of Saint Lazarus which can be found in Larnaca. The church marks the supposed tomb of Lazarus of Bethany who Jesus Christ is alleged to have raised from the dead before his crucifixion. According to Orthodox tradition, after the death of Christ Lazarus was forced to flee to modern day Larnaca where he became the first bishop of the city and lived for a further 30 years. After his eventual death Lazarus was entombed in the city and a church dedicated to him was erected on top of this tomb in the early 800s. Although the church was able to survive a number of conflicts and renovations the alleged remains of Lazarus were looted from his tomb during the 4th Crusade and have since been lost. The Church still stands today as a dedication to Lazarus but during the Ottoman occupation of Cyprus beginning in the late 1500s the Church was converted to a mosque and remained an Islamic place of worship until the island was occupied by British over 300 hundreds years later in the late 1800s. In modern day Cyprus the Church of St. Lazarus has become one of if not the most important Christian/Orthodox holy site on the island and the Church has gone through a number of renovations to restore it to its former prestige and it remains a stunning display of the Orthodox Christian idolization of Saints as the Church features fantastic and extensive gold fixtures and architecture. The Church of Saint Lazarus is a must see for anyone interested in the history of Christianity and religious traditions as a whole.