Omeriye Mosque

The Omeriye Mosque is one of the cultural attractions of Cyprus and is located on Trikoupi Street, near the center of Nicosia’s old town and opposite the historic homonymous Hamam.

Situated in the place of the medieval Augustinian monastery of the Church of St. Mary, near the Archbishop’s Palace, the Byzantine Museum of Nicosia, the Cyprus Folk Art Museum and other sights within the Venetian walls of the capital, the Omeriye Mosque stands majestically in today’s square Tilliria and between the bastions of Constanţza and Podocataro, among the old shops and buildings that were once a reference point for the locals of Nicosia.

The impressive medieval architecture building of the 14th century used to be the church of St. Mary and one of the three most important monasteries in the capital, which was confirmed by the tomb slabs of the monks of the Order of the Augustinians found in 1940 on the floor of the mosque, while it was also used as a guesthouse built by the Latin Archbishop of Cyprus, Guillaume Gonème in the 15th century. Remnant of that period was the Renaissance door on its northeastern side, after the building had been completely destroyed up to the level of the windows, by the bombing of the Turks during the siege of the city. So, one year after the occupation of Nicosia by the Ottomans in the 16th century, and in particular in 1571, it was converted into a mosque upon command of the commander Mustafa Pasha. Ruins from the other buildings of the monastery survived until the 17th century.

The name was given by the Turks after the fall of Nicosia in honour of the prophet Omar, who, according to the Turkish tradition, visited Nicosia on his way from Damascus to Egypt and spent the night in the narthex of the deserted church.

The Omeriye Mosque has a minaret with two balconies, while the vaulted entrance with the decorative relief on the western wall belonging to the original building stands out. The preserved one aisled church dates back to the first half of the 14th century and to the east there is a three-sided arch and to the west a narthex with three arcs on the front. Probably the temple was originally 15 meters high, making it the most magnificent building of medieval Nicosia after Agia Sophia. When the upper part of the church was destroyed by cannon fire in the 1570s, the Turks rebuilt the walls and covered the building and the anteroom with a wooden roof, while the interior was covered with plaster and the minaret was added to the northern side. On the outside the roof is tiled.

Outside the mosque, there is a tap with running water where the Muslims wash their hands, legs, neck and face, leaving their shoes in the courtyard near the entrance before entering the area. Inside, a carpet covers the floor to make it easier for believers who remain kneeling during prayer and has a green color, which, according to Islam, symbolizes paradise. Left and right there are two wooden libraries with an arch in the upper part and the mimbar is straight ahead, from where the imam addresses the faithful. Next to it is the michramb, the niche of the prayer on the wall, coloured green and situated in the direction of Mecca, indicating the direction the believers pray. On the walls there are arabesques (inscriptions in Arabic), while three wooden chandeliers and three large fans hang from the wooden ceiling.

The Omeriye Mosque, known to the locals and as the Emperor’s Mosque, is a medieval monument that is visited by thousands of locals and foreigners annually and is used for prayer by the Muslim inhabitants of the city and generally of Cyprus. It is open on a permanent basis, while visits are allowed outside of the hours of prayer. If someone finds himself in the area on Fridays around noon, they will see a mass turn out of the faithful for the established prayer. It is a good idea for the visitor to be deftly dressed and it is imperative to leave his shoes at the entrance.

Omeriye Mosque
Trikoupi and Tilrias Square, Nicosia, Cyprus