Saint Sophie Cathedral


In the heart of Nicosia on the Turkish territory of Cyprus is the main mosque of the city - Selimiye. Originally it was a Christian temple, which was called the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia. And before that, in place of the sanctuary, there was a cult structure, where the coronation of the famous King Amory was held.

History of the Cathedral

The construction of the church began in 1209 under the leadership of the Catholic archbishop Thierry. The architects conceived a grandiose project: the building should have looked like a medieval cathedral in France. As expected, the exterior and interior of the temple had a magnificent decoration: it was decorated with paintings, statues, amazing wall murals and drawings with bas-reliefs. Here, the coronations of Cypriot monarchs took place.

Unfortunately, the building was subject to attacks by various peoples, so the interior decoration and appearance changed a lot, because each lord made his own changes. In 1571, the island of Cyprus was captured by soldiers of the Ottoman Empire and turned the Cathedral into the main mosque of the country. Muslims called it Selimie - in honor of the ruler of the Ottoman Empire Selime II, who participated in the capture of the island.

Architectural features

The Turks destroyed the interior and exterior decoration of the temple, took out almost all the works of art, ancient frescos and sculptures, and the tombstones were covered with bright carpet paths. They left only the statue of St. Sophia in the cathedral, though they put it outside and set it on the street. Christian anthropomorphic icons painted on the wall were painted with white paint. The whole situation was placed diagonally in the mosque so that the believers could pray to face Mecca. The central hall was made quite spacious, so it can accommodate several thousand people at a time.

The facade of the building was decorated with forward-looking ports, and three entrances were crowned with Gothic sharp arches, painted with rich ornamentation. The inner naves of the temple are divided among themselves by two massive colonnades, which were used as supports for arches. To the mosque on the west side, the Muslims were built two high minarets. In order to read the prayer, the mullah had to cross several hundred and seventy steps several times a day. This problem was solved only in the sixties of the twentieth century, on the minarets was installed sound equipment, which allowed to hear the mullah at a great distance.

Excursions in the cathedral

Nowadays in the Selimiye mosque sightseeing tours are conducted by local guides telling about the terrible days that this building survived. It shows ancient objects and candelabra, medieval tombstones and the historical decoration of the temple. In the cathedral there is a school, a training center (madrasah), a library, a hospital and shops. The temple works every day, and the entrance to its territory is free.

Since 1975 the cathedral belongs to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The main mosque of the island surprises many visitors with the fact that it is not made in the traditional oriental style, but in the Gothic. Often its image is on local souvenirs . Today the temple looks more modest than in past centuries, but its grandeur and beauty still amaze its guests.

It should be remembered that the mosque is still a prayer house, therefore there are several restrictions when visiting:

How to get to Hagia Sophia in Nicosia?

The cathedral is located in the northern part of Selimiye Meydanı, a couple of minutes walk from the famous historical market of AliPaşa Bazaar. Near the bazaar there is a bus stop, where public transport stops.

It is cheaper to reach Nicosia by buses that travel here from all the cities and resorts of the country . The cost of the ticket is from one to seven euros, depending on the distance, and the journey time is one to three hours. You can also come to the city and take a taxi, the island taxis are Mercedes E class cars. Prices, naturally, will be higher: fifty to one hundred euros, depending on the distance and the company providing the car.

There are in demand in Cyprus and route taxis, which are designed for four or eight people. The most popular company is Travel Express, it operates from six in the morning until six in the evening, runs every half hour. Its price is much lower than an ordinary taxi, but it is worthwhile to book it in advance, while specifying the place of landing and disembarkation.