Monastery of St. Macarius, or as it is called Surup Magar, located near the town of Kyrenia (Girne), was built in the era of the Byzantine Empire Coptic (Christian) monks who arrived from Egypt, in honor of the martyr Makarios of Alexandria. The temple was built on the edge of a cliff right above the picturesque deep gorge.

In XIV-XV centuries during the reign of King John III (Janus) in the relations between Cyprus and Egypt there was discord, so the monastery was transferred to the Armenian Church. After that, it is mostly used as a summer residence of the monks and the resting place for pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land. However, the new owners began to slowly sell the land belonging Surup Magar, resulting in a monastery with time fell into disrepair. It does not save the temple from destruction and the fact that as a thank you for their help in the war against the Venetians, Ottomans, seized power on the island, freed the Armenian church taxes.

In 1814 the monastery was virtually razed by strong earthquake. It has been completely restored, but the original building was only a part of the wall on the east side, which stands out due to the high Gothic windows. During the Civil War, the monastery of St. Macarius suffered significant damage from it remained almost in ruins. Although some of the walls are still preserved drawings and inscriptions in Armenian. Now the authorities of the island have made significant efforts to restore it trying to make it a popular cultural center.