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Lala Mustafa Pasa Mosque
The building which was constructed between the years
1298-1312 in the Lusignan period is one of the most beautiful Gothic
structures of the Meditteranean region. The Lusignan kings would be
inaugurated as the King of Cyprus at the St. Sophia Cathedral in Nicosia
first, and following this they would be crowned as the King of Jerusalem
at the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Famagusta. These ceremonies continued
to be held until 1571 when the cathedral was turned into a mosque by the
Ottoman Turks. The architecture of the western front of the building has
been influenced by the architecture of the Reims Cathedral. It has an
unparalleled window with Gothic style tracery. The 16th century Venetian
gallery in the courtyard is today used as a reservoir for ablutions. A
Venetian insignia can be seen above the circular windows at the
entrance. The relief ornamented with animal figures is thought to have
been brought from a temple in Salamis. The apsis of the cathedral is in
the Eastern style and is composed of three parts as in most Cyprus
churches. The windows in the top part have been well preserved. There
are two chapels at the side. The cumbez tree in front -a tropical fig
tree- is a rare tree in the north of the island. Back |
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