The shrine was built on an ancient hill, on the ruins of a pagan temple. The stones of the shrine were extracted from the quarry that is few meters away. They are uncut stones from 2,000 years BC, which proves that the temple was pagan.

The shrine dates back to the beginning of the 4th century AD and it was a watchtower in the Byzantine era before it became a church characterized by all the architectural specifications of the eastern orthodox churches.

The shrine got its name from a priest who lived on the hill to preserve its spirituality. It is also said that the shrine was given the name Saint Thomas who was one of the 12 disciples, because he passed by “Kouna” on his way to Greece. The Saint is celebrated every 6 October.

In front of the shrine, a 30 meters-deep well was located, but it was then removed for fear of someone falling in it.

Kids used to collect fossils around the shrine, which proves that the region was under water more than 200 thousand year ago.