Arablar Mosque (Church of Stavros Tou Missirikou)
Nicosia, South Cyprus
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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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