Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque
The Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque (Turkish: Lala Mustafa Paşa Camii) originally known as the Saint Nicolas Cathedral and later as the Ayasofya (Saint Sophia) Mosque of Magusa is the largest medieval building in Famagusta, Cyprus. Built between 1298 and c.1400 it was consecrated as a Christian cathedral in 1328. The cathedral was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman Empire captured Famagusta in 1571 and remains a mosque to this day.
Early History
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The French Lusignan dynasty ruled as Kings of Cyprus from 1190 to 1489 and had brought with them the latest French taste in architecture, notably developments in Gothic architecture.
The mosque was constructed (initially as a cathedral) from 1300CE to c.1400CE and was consecrated in 1328. "After an unfortunate episode when the current bishop embezzled the restoration fund"[1], Bishop Guy of Ibelin bequeathed 20,000 bezants for its constructon.[2] The Lusignans would be crowned as Kings of Cyprus in the St. Sophia Cathedral in Nicosia and then crowned as Kings of Jerusalem in the St. Nicolas Cathedral in Famagusta.[3][4]
The building is constructed in a flamboyant Gothic style, quite rare outside France, though "mediated through buildings in the Rhineland"[5]. The historic tie between France and Cyprus is evidenced by its parallels to French archetypes such as the Rheims cathedral. Indeed, so strong is the resemblance, that the building has been dubbed "The Reims of Cyprus". The building has three doors, twin towers over the aisles and a flat roof, typical of Crusader architecture.
Ottoman Era
The upper parts of the mosque's two towers suffered from earthquakes and were badly damaged during the Ottoman bombardments of 1571; they have never been repaired. With the Venetians defeated and Famagusta fallen by August of 1571, Cyprus fell under Ottoman control and the cathedral was converted into a mosque and renamed the "St.Sophia Mosque of Gazimagosa". [6]
Islamic tradition holds that the depiction of humans, animals and other faiths in their religious architecture is sinful and so almost all of the statues, crucifixes, frescoes, paintings, tombs, stained glass windows and the altar were removed or plastered over. The Gothic structure was preserved however and a few tombs can still be identified in the north aisle.
In 1954 its name was changed again to the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque after the commander of the 1570 Ottoman conquest.
Image Gallery
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Right side view -
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Main doors of the cathedral -
Rename of the Cathedral -
History years -
Entrance facade showing location of the minaret -
Detail of the apse
References
- ^ Eileen Davey. Northern Cyprus: a traveller's guide. I.B.Tauris Publishers, 1994. Page 97.
- ^ Adrian J. Boas. Crusader Archaeology: the Material Culture of the Latin East. Routledge (UK), 1999. Page 49.
- ^ Cyprus net web page
- ^ http://www.holidayinnorthcyprus.com/destinations_magusa.jsp Holiday Inn travel guide to Cyprus
- ^ Nicola Coldstream. Medieval Architecture. Oxford University Press, 2002. Page 13.
- ^ FAMAGUSTA 1
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