Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque, Gothic mosque in Famagusta, Cyprus

The Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque is the largest medieval building in Famagusta, Cyprus, built of weathered tan and ochre stone in Rayonnant Gothic style. Its west facade has a pointed-arch portal with a rose window above, flanked by two tall pointed openings, and a square tower with a slender conical spire stands at the left corner. Lower crenellated walls with arched recesses extend to the right.

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 building carries the name of Lala Mustafa Pasha, grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire under Murad III, who led the 1570 campaign against the Venetians in Cyprus; the name was adopted in 1954. The Gothic shell now serves as a working mosque, and a few tombs remain visible in the north aisle.

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.