In Famagusta, Cyprus, there is a building that used to be a cathedral dedicated to St Nicholas. It saw major events of the country’s history and is now a mosque.
Construction
In 1298, the French rulers of Cyprus decided to build a cathedral on the east coast, in the city of Famagusta1 2 3. French architects designed one based on Reims Cathedral3.
Records about who came up with the design are sparse but it could have been French architect Jean Langlois3. It took 14 years to complete the Rayonnant Gothic structure1 3. The Church consecrated it in 13283 4.
The main entrance is from the West, with the main aisle oriented on a west-east axis, as many Catholic churches are. Gabled canopies above the main entrances sit above the typical rose window. They are a joy to behold and immediately reminiscent of French gothic style. Flying buttresses, to provide structural strength given the risk of siege and earthquakes, add to the structure2.
Usage
The House of Lusignan reigned over Cyprus at the time. They used St Nicholas’ for the Crown of Jerusalem coronation ceremony1 3 4. Usually this was after they were already crowned as Kings of Cyprus1.
It seems unusual to have such a coronation ceremony in a different country. This started after 1350, when it was clear Crusaders wouldn’t take Palestine2. The French knights decided to set up a monarchy for Jerusalem in exile2.
Conversion to a mosque
In 1570, the Ottoman empire invaded Cyprus and besieged Famagusta1 2 3. This was the end of the cathedral as a place of Christian worship. The Ottomans destroyed all Christian images and decoration, in keeping with Islamic practices1 2. They removed or destroyed all sculptures, including the relics of the water pitcher from the Biblical wedding at Cana1. In 1571, the invaders converted the building into a mosque1 3 4. They named it Lala Mustafa Pasha mosque, after one of the Ottoman viziers.
The Royal tombs of James II and James III – the last two Kings of Cyprus – were destroyed1, on the order of Lala Mustafa himself5.
The Ottomans were there till 1878, when Britain took over the island1.
Today
Cyprus became independent in 1960, and Turkey invaded again in 1972. To this day, Famagusta is still part of occupied Cyprus1.
The building is still the largest medieval building in Famagusta. It is a joy to behold, but up close the lack of restoration work is obvious. The twin towers of the cathedral still show signs of the 16th century siege. The addition of a minaret also added some structural damage.
The condition of the building is so dire that it has been in the news in February 2023. The President of the Famagusta Shopkeepers’ Association, Serdar Atay, called for urgent repair works because of the risk of collapse6. The In-Cyprus newspaper reported on cracks in every facade of the structure which highten the condition of the mosque6.
A white wooden lattice framework faces you instead of stained glass.
The carpeted inside of the building, has separate areas for men and women. I confess it felt strange to walk around a place like this without carefully-laid out rows of chairs or pews. The conversion works for a Muslim place of worship, but was disorienting for me.
- Historical Cathedral in Cyprus turned into a mosque under Turkish Occupation; Uzay Bulut; Greek City Times; 2019 [↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
- Lala Mustafa Paşa Mosque; Cypnet.co.uk; (Retrieved 2022-10-24) [↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
- The Reims of North Cyprus; Visit North Cyprus; (Retrieved 2022-10-25) [↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
- St. Nicholas Cathedral—Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque; St Nicholas Centre; (Retrieved 2022-10-25) [↩][↩][↩]
- Aftermath of War: Cypriot Christians and Mediterranean Geopolitics, 1571-1625; Matthew Lubdin; Chapel Hill; 2012[↩]
- Saint Nicolas cathedral in occupied Famagusta in danger; In-Cyprus; 2023-02-19[↩][↩]