Home > Going Out > Historical Places > Nicosia (North) >
Haydar Pasa Mosque

Haydar Pasa Mosque

After St. Sophia it is the most notable Lusignan building in Nicosia. Historian Sir Harry Luke describes it as the most elegant and perfect Gothic building in Cyprus. The St. Catherine church was built in the fourteenth century and converted into a mosque after the Ottomans gained control of the island. Long, narrow Gothic windows have been placed between the pedestals which get narrower as they approach the ceiling. The top parts of the windows are ornamented with geometic designs. The church has three entrances: the fine masonry of the Gothic south entrance and the carvings of the Lusignan insignias on its frame are notable features. The west entrance is larger with the same architecture; its frame is ornamented with motifs of roses and dragons. The north entrance is comparatively plain. It is ornamented with the pattern of a nude woman holding a fish and dragon like effigies. Inside, there is a chancel, a vestry and a small baptizing pool.