Places of Interest in NICOSIA (LEFKOŞA)
Büyük Han
Built by the first Ottoman Governor of Cyprus, Muzaffer Pasha in 1572, the building was designed as a two storied inn; its plan is rectangular and there are 68 rooms.
Selimiye Mosque (Selimiye Camii)
Built by the Lusignans between 1208 and 1326, Selimiye is accepted to be the most important example of Gothic architecture in Cyprus. The monumental main door and the carved stone window above it are spectacular works. After the Ottoman conquest of Nicosia in 1570, a minaret was added to the cathedral and thus it was transformed into Hagia Sophia Mosque.
Mevlevi Tekke Museum (Mevlevi Müzesi)
The mosque, in the heart of the restored historical Arap Ahmet neighbourhood, was built in place of a Lusignan church in 1845. The interior of the mosque is covered with marble, some of which dates back to Venetian and Lusignan times. There are said to be tombstones from the 14th C under its stone floor.
The Gambler’s Inn (Kumarcılar Hanı)
The Gambler’s Inn at Asmaalti Square was built towards the end of the 17th C. In the entry hall of this Ottoman inn, there is a Medieval Gothic arch, this feature led historians to believe that the inn was built over the ruins of a monastery. There are 44 rooms around the iner courtyard.
Follow
gothic architecture…
… Built by the Lusignans between 1208 and 1326, Selimiye is accepted to be the most important example of Gothic architecture in Cyprus. The monumental main door and the carved stone window above it are spectacular works. … ……