Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque, Gothic mosque in Famagusta, Cyprus
The Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque is a place of worship in Famagusta, Cyprus, combining Gothic architectural elements with Islamic use. Inside, visitors find pointed arches and ribbed vaults, while outside two tall towers mark the western entrance and a slender minaret shapes the skyline.
The building arose as Saint Nicholas Cathedral between 1298 and 1312 under the rule of the French Lusignan dynasty. After Ottoman forces arrived in 1571, the new rulers removed Christian symbols and added a prayer niche and minaret to the structure.
The name honors a 16th-century Ottoman admiral, while the interior today displays prayer rugs and lamps that belong to Islamic practice. Worshippers come five times a day for prayer, and visitors can observe how the architecture from an earlier era serves current faith.
The building opens daily for prayer times, and visitors should remove shoes at the entrance and cover shoulders and knees. Women need a headscarf, often provided at the entrance if none is brought.
In the north aisle lie several tombs of the last rulers from the Lusignan family, who once governed Cyprus. These burial sites remained even though the building changed its religious function and now serves as a mosque.
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