Selimiye Mosque

One of the most fascinating buildings in Northern Cyprus, Selimiye Mosque is also the largest building in Nicosia to have survived so many centuries. It may well have been the largest church built in the Eastern Mediterranean in the millennium between the rise of Islam and the late Ottoman period.
The name “Selimiye” comes from the Greek words “Aiya Sophia” meaning "Holy wisdom". This name was given primarily to the Byzantine church built in this location in the 11th century. No ruins of this church have been discovered but a manuscript confirms its existence here.
The construction of the gothic church started in the 13th century during the Frankish period and lasted over 78 years. The orthodox church was turned into a Mosque in Ottoman times after 1570. Today the Selimiye Mosque opens for visitors all day apart from prayer times. Light falls from large windows to illuminate the green ornaments and burgundy carpet which absorbs the sound of footsteps leaving only whispers to be heard.