Mosque of Agia Sophia Paphou

The mosque of Agia Sophia Paphou is located in the area of ​​Moutalos, also known as Ktima, near the Municipal Market of Paphos and is one of the cultural attractions in the capital of the homonymous province.

A building with a combination of medieval and Ottoman elements of architecture, visited by many local and foreign tourists in a historic town district on Namik Kemal Street, the mosque of Agia Sophia Paphou was originally a Christian church dedicated to Saint Sophia, while during the Frankish rule and the Venetian occupation, it was the seat of the Bishop of Paphos. The original temple was a three-aisled basilica with a dome and was built in the 12th-13th century, but was probably destroyed in the 14th century AD. Remains of this period are the northern aisle, while the north side of the arch of the central aisle is still visible from outside.

Later, in the 15th or 16th century, in its place was built a smaller temple, a type of a cruciform church with a dome, which incorporated the northern aisle of the original construction. The dome is an eight-sided drum with eight windows, one on each side. Access to the temple was available from the two entrances to the west and south.

Following the Ottoman rule in Cyprus (in 1571) and up until the Turkish invasion of 1974, the church was converted into a mosque, with all necessary alterations to the building. A minaret was added to the northwest corner, the walls were covered with plaster, while wooden flooring was built inside and new furnishings were placed according to the Islamic standards. Around the temple there is a Muslim cemetery.

The mosque of Agia Sophia Paphou, or else the Kebir mosque or Moutalos mosque, is one of the points that the visitor will pass during his tour of the beautiful narrow streets of Kato Paphos and specifically of the Turkish neighborhood of the Ktima. It is not accessible inside, but one can enjoy its beauty from outside.