Description of the attraction
Located in the western part of the Turkish half of Nicosia, the ancient Arab Ahmet Pasha Mosque is considered one of the most striking examples of primordial Ottoman religious architecture. It was built in the late 16th - early 17th centuries and bears the name of one of the generals of the Turkish army, who was also the governor-general of the island of Rhodes. Previously, an old Roman Catholic church stood in its place. In 1845, the building was completely restored, and the last time repair work was carried out there at the end of the last century. Now this mosque is one of the most famous in the city.
The building itself is quite small in size, but it is particularly elegant. The roof of the building is crowned with a beautiful dome, the diameter of which reaches six meters. The façade attracts attention with its arched colonnade, and the balcony of the minaret with its skillful ornamentation carved from stone. The inner courtyard of the mosque is decorated with a beautiful oriental-style fountain for washing the feet before praying. The interior of the building is decorated quite simply, which is traditional in the Middle East for such buildings.
Near the mosque, in a garden with lush greenery, there is a small cemetery where famous Turkish Cypriots, political and public figures are buried. So, there you can see the graves of the governors Yitzhak Pasha and Hafiz Hasan, the Grand Vizier of Turkey Kemal Pasha and many others. In addition, the local imam will never refuse to tell about the history of Arab-Akhmet Pasha and give a short excursion to this interesting place.
It is also believed that the hair from the beard of the Prophet Muhammad himself is kept in the mosque.
