Morphou (in Greek Μόρφου, in Turkish Omorfo (pre 1974) or Güzelyurt post 1974) is a market town in the north-west of Cyprus.

St Mamas' church in Morphou

It contains one of the many churches in the country dedicated to St. Mamas, popularly known as the patron saint of tax avoiders. The title was bestowed on him because he was a hermit living in very poor circumstances and when the authorities tried to tax him, he evaded them. Soldiers were sent out and captured him but on the way back to town, he saw a lion attacking a lamb, escaped the soldiers, saved the lamb, jumped on the lion's back and in that way came to town. His bravery earned him exemption from tax, hence his traditional attribute. Guzelyurt church - site of St Mamas burial. ... Guzelyurt church - site of St Mamas burial. ... This article is about the Christian buildings of worship. ... St Mamas, the lamb and the lion: icon in the church at Morphou Saint Mamas was a Christian martyr who died c. ... In several forms of Christianity, but especially in Roman Catholicism, a patron saint has special affinity for a trade or group. ... This article contrasts tax evasion, tax avoidance and tax mitigation. ... A hermit (from the Greek erēmos, signifying desert, uninhabited, hence desert-dweller) is a person who lives to some greater or lesser degree in seclusion and/or isolation from society. ... A tax is a compulsory charge or other levy imposed on an individual or a legal entity by a state or a functional equivalent of a state (e. ... Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The Lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae. ...

Morphou was attacked and occupied by the Turkish military during the invasion of the island by Turkey in 1974 and its Greek Cypriot inhabitants fled, never to return again. Today Morphou is located in the Turkish-occupied side of the island and is populated by Turkish Cypriots.

St Mamas, the lamb and the lion: altar painting in the church at Morphou

The church is an icon museum now, and the images of St. Mamas on his lion are quite amusing, as no one there at that time had seen a lion, so the iconography is not exactly lifelike, having a human face in some versions. St Mamas and the lion (hes carrying the lamb) - altar painting in St Mamas church in Guzelyurt - photo by User:Jeandunston File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... St Mamas and the lion (hes carrying the lamb) - altar painting in St Mamas church in Guzelyurt - photo by User:Jeandunston File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Savior (1410s, by Andrei Rublev) An icon (from Greek , eikon, image) is an image, picture, or representation; it is a sign or likeness that stands for an object by signifying or representing it, or by analogy, as in semiotics; in computers an icon is a symbol on the monitor... Iconography is the study and interpretation of images in art. ...