Arablar Mosque
(Church of Stavros tou Missirikou)
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Arablar Mosque |
Stavros tou Missirikou is a medieval Orthodox church. Originally built
in the first half of the 16th century, it is
a blend of Byzantine and Gothic architecture with
elements of Italian Renaissance. It was named after the Lusignan King of Cyprus,
Henry II (Monsieur Erikou), who reigned from 1285 to 1324.
The church has a
rectangular shape with a semi-circular apse, which is
five-sided on the exterior. It has three aisles. The
middle aisle is covered with a cupola, the northern
aisle with two cross vaults of unequal size and the
south aisle with two unequal arches. The exterior of
the eight-sided dome is supported by arches that rest
on four half-columns with plain square-shaped bases
set into the wall.
The church was restored during the Venetian period, and after the Ottomans conquered the city, the church
was converted into a mosque. It then underwent
significant changes, including the addition of a
minaret and the walling up of three doors. The mosque was
given the name Arablar Djami, meaning the mosque
of the Arabs.
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