Selimiye Mosque (Nicosia)

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The Selimiye Mosque
View from the west
inner space
lobby

The Selimiye Mosque ( Turkish Lefkoşa Selimiye Camii , Greek Τέμενος Σελιμιγιέ Λευκωσίας Témenos Selimigié Lefkosías ), formerly St. Sophia Cathedral , is a mosque in Nicosia, Cyprus, and the former Christian cathedral of the city. It is located in the northern half of the old town, just 100 meters north of the " Green Line " that separates Northern Cyprus from the Republic of Cyprus.

history

The St. Sophia Cathedral was built between 1209 and 1326, especially under Archbishop Eustorge de Montaigu (1217–1251) and is considered a masterpiece of Gothic church construction, comparable to the great cathedrals of France. On the initiative of Bishop Giovanni del Conte (1319–1332), some structural changes, but above all the design of the interior, go back. To do this, he brought Italian artists to the city. The church was consecrated on November 5, 1326. The building was the coronation church of the kings of Cyprus until 1489 . Venice then ruled the island until 1571.

The Ottomans converted the cathedral into a mosque, the unfinished western towers were completed as minarets . The sacred furnishings, e.g. B. the church window was lost. From then on, the building was the city's main mosque. The building was severely damaged during the 1491, 1547 and 1735 earthquakes.

Both during the British colonial period and until the breakup of the Republic of Cyprus , the function as a mosque was retained. The northern part of Nicosia and its main mosque have been in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus since 1974 .

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ^ David Talbot Rice, Rupert Gunnis, Tamara Talbot Rice: The Icons of Cyprus , G. Allen & Unwin, 1937, p. 189.
  2. ↑ UPenn website

Web links

Commons : Selimiye Mosque (St. Sophie Cathedral)  - collection of images

Coordinates: 35 ° 10 ′ 35 ″  N , 33 ° 21 ′ 52 ″  E