Bayraktar Mosque

The Bayraktar Mosque is located in the city inside the walls, on the south side of old Nicosia and at the west end of the bastion of Constantza, being one of the many cultural attractions of the capital of Cyprus.

One of the few places that was not previously a Christian temple, the Bayraktar Mosque, which stands out with the towering palm beside it, was built by the Turks several years after Nicosia was captured, in honor of Bayraktaris (flag bearer, as the Turkish word “bayrak” means the flag or military trophy), the first soldier who raised the Ottoman flag, climbing the city walls on 9 September 1570. Indeed, it is said that the soldier was killed on the spot by the defenders and later on he was buried at that spot. His tomb was built in 1764 and is to the left of the monument, but the mosque was built later on, in 1820. There is a Persian wheel and a water bowl, while the stone- built building with 3 arcs on the flat roof and the balcony above its entrance, features a Gothic vaulted room, as well as a tall minaret. The Mihrab’s stone, the niche of prayer on the wall that faces Mecca, is decorated with gold, while the green color dominates the space, which, according to Islam, symbolizes paradise. The floor is covered with a carpet to make it easier for believers who remain kneeling during prayer.

From time to time and when requested by Turkish Cypriots, the Bayraktar Mosque, restored in 2003, operaes for their religious needs.

Bayraktar Mosque
Bastillion Kostantza, Nicosia, Cyprus