Description of the attraction
The Omeriye Mosque, located in the southern (Greek) part of Nicosia, was originally an Augustinian monastery built in the 14th century in honor of the Virgin Mary. This monastery was one of the three most important churches in the city.
But during the Ottoman attack, the monastery was almost completely destroyed. After the Turks conquered these lands, in 1570-1571 they turned the monastery into a mosque, rebuilding the destroyed parts of the building. Moreover, during the repair, according to a number of historical sources, gravestones from the graves of noble nobles, who were once buried on the territory of the monastery, were used.
The current name of the mosque is associated with the Turkish Caliph Omar, who is considered by some to be a relative of the Prophet Muhammad. And the commander Lala Mustafa Pasha, on whose orders the mosque was built, believed that the monastery was erected on the site where in the 7th century Omar stopped to rest during his trip to Egypt. Moreover, it is believed that it was in this place that he was later buried. The mosque itself is rather small and consists of only a few rooms with high ceilings. The walls of these rooms are decorated with beautiful paintings.
During the renovation of the building, the dilapidated tower of the chapel was turned into a traditional mosque minaret, which is now considered one of the tallest in the entire city. More recently, Omeriya has undergone renovations, including the complete restoration of the southern part of the magnificent garden, located next to the mosque.
The Omeriye Mosque is famous for being the only active Muslim mosque in the Greek part of Nicosia. However, it is open to tourists, regardless of their religion.
