The miraculous icon of the Theotokos of Kykko was carried out in procession for the first time since 1990 during an all-night service at Kykkos Monastery in the Troodos Mountains on the night of 22 November, Orthodoxia News Agency reported. The rare event took place as the Church on Cyprus held a special vigil to pray for an end to the island’s severe drought.

The all-night service concluded with a procession to the throne of the Mother of God, led by Metropolitan Nikiforos of Kykkos and Tylliria. Clergy from the historic monasteries of Kykkos and Machairas took part, accompanied by thousands of pilgrims. A Byzantine choir chanted the hymns of the service as the faithful followed the revered icon.

The carrying out of the icon is an exceptional event—this was only the fourth time in history it has occurred. In earlier centuries, Cypriots frequently appealed to the “Rain-Bringing Mother of God” during times of drought. In his homily, Metropolitan Nikiforos recalled the miracles associated with the icon, including occasions when rain reportedly fell almost immediately after prayers before it. He expressed hope that, through the intercession of the Theotokos, God would grant Cyprus long-awaited relief and the renewal of the land.

The vigil took place against the backdrop of a worsening water crisis. Local media report that reservoir levels have dropped to critical lows due to prolonged drought, and authorities are considering launching an artificial rain-induction program. Meteorologists warn of serious risks to agriculture and water supply if no action is taken soon.

The Kykkos icon of the Mother of God, among Cyprus’s most revered holy treasures, has been venerated as miraculous since the 11th–12th centuries. Tradition holds that it was painted by the Apostle Luke, though archaeological studies by Georgios Sotiriou date it to the 12th century, with later restorations. According to legend, it was brought to Cyprus by Byzantine commander Manuel Boutoumites and placed in the newly founded Kykkos Monastery.

The icon has been veiled in gold since ancient times, and its faces are never seen. It belongs to the Eleousa (Tenderness) type: the Virgin holds the Christ Child pressed against her cheek, with His hand and moving legs partly concealed beneath her maphorion. From the 12th to 16th centuries the icon gained wide devotion, with around two dozen early copies known. By the 17th century, the Kykkos style had become popular even in Muscovy. Over the centuries the icon has been credited with numerous miracles, particularly in times of drought—earning it the Cypriot title “the Rain-Bringing Mother of God.”