Nicosia
Haydar Pasha Mosque (Church of St Catherine)
Posted under Nicosia by Lavinia Neville Smith
Haydar Pasha Mosque (Church of St Catherine)
This 14th Century church built during the Lusignan period is, after the Selimiye mosque, the most impressive and beautiful piece of Gothic architecture left standing in Nicosia. It is a single aisle structure, elegantly understated in the simplicity of...
The Lusignan House
Posted under Nicosia by Lavinia Neville Smith
Lusignan House | Nicosia
This is probably the most beautiful of the restored houses in the area adjacent to the Selimiye mosque and it can be found in the street that passes the Haydar Pasha mosque. Dating from the Lusignan period the house has been fully restored and some of the rooms have been...
The Eaved House
Posted under Nicosia by Lavinia Neville Smith
Eaved House | Nicosia
This house is to be found in the street heading south from the pedestrian precinct behind the Sultan’s Library. It is a restored building that is now used as a cultural centre and exhibition hall. There are long galleries where local artists display their works and some of...
The Sultan’s Library
Posted under Nicosia by Lavinia Neville Smith
Sultan's Library | Nicosia
At the eastern end of the Selimiye mosque, there is a paved pedestrian area where the Sultan’s Library is to be found. It is a square unprepossessing building with a domed roof and most of the time it is kept closed. The books that it once contained have been moved...
The Great Inn (The Buyuk Han)
Posted under Nicosia by Lavinia Neville Smith
The Great Inn (Buyuk Han) | Nicosia
This Great Inn is the most important Ottoman structure on the whole of the island. Construction began in 1572 under the guidance of Mustafa Pasha who was the first Ottoman governor of Cyprus and it was quickly established as the major trading point. These Inns...
The Bedestan
Posted under Nicosia by Lavinia Neville Smith
The Bedestan, is to be found immediately adjacent to the Selimiye Mosque and is an amalgamation of two churches. One dedicated to St. Nicholas of the English and the other dedicated to The Virgin Mary. It became the Orthodox Metropolitan cathedral, and during Ottoman rule was turned into a...
