The lost cathedral of St Nicholas

A close-up photo of St Nicholas Cathedral facade - Famagusta, Occupied Cyprus

The lost cathedral of St Nicholas

In Famagusta, Cyprus, there is a building that used to be a cathedral dedicated to St Nicholas. It saw major events of the country’s history and is now a mosque.

Construction

In 1298, the French rulers of Cyprus decided to build a cathedral on the east coast, in the city of Famagusta1 2 3. French architects designed one based on Reims Cathedral3.

A photo of St Nicholas Cathedral - Famagusta, Occupied Cyprus
St Nicholas Cathedral – Famagusta, Occupied Cyprus

Records about who came up with the design are sparse but it could have been French architect Jean Langlois3. It took 14 years to complete the Rayonnant Gothic structure3 1. The Church consecrated it in 13283 4.

The main entrance is from the West, with the main aisle oriented on a west-east axis, as many Catholic churches are. Gabled canopies above the main entrances sit above the typical rose window. They are a joy to behold and immediately reminiscent of French gothic style. Flying buttresses, to provide structural strength given the risk of siege and earthquakes, add to the structure2.

A photo of Reims Cathedral - Reims, France
Reims Cathedral – Reims, France

Usage

The House of Lusignan reigned over Cyprus at the time. They used St Nicholas’ for the Crown of Jerusalem coronation ceremony3 1 4. Usually this was after they were already crowned as Kings of Cyprus1.

A close-up photo of St Nicholas Cathedral facade - Famagusta, Occupied Cyprus
St Nicholas Cathedral facade – Famagusta, Occupied Cyprus

It seems unusual to have such a coronation ceremony in a different country. This started after 1350, when it was clear Crusaders wouldn’t take Palestine2. The French knights decided to set up a monarchy for Jerusalem in exile2.

A photo of St Nicholas Cathedral's facade - Famagusta, Occupied Cyprus
St Nicholas Cathedral’s facade – Famagusta, Occupied Cyprus

Conversion to a mosque

In 1570, the Ottoman empire invaded Cyprus and besieged Famagusta1 2. This was the end of the cathedral as a place of Christian worship. The Ottomans destroyed all Christian images and decoration, in keeping with Islamic practices1 2. They removed or destroyed all sculptures, including the relics of the water pitcher from the Biblical wedding at Cana1. In 1571, the invaders converted the building into a mosque1 3 4. They named it Lala Mustafa Pasha mosque, after one of the Ottoman viziers.

A photo of the deterioration of St Nicholas Cathedral - Famagusta, Occupied Cyprus
The deterioration of St Nicholas Cathedral – Famagusta, Occupied Cyprus

The Royal tombs of James II and James III – the last two Kings of Cyprus – were destroyed5, on the order of Lala Mustafa himself6.

The Ottomans were there till 1878, when Britain took over the island5.

A photo of wooden lattices that replaced stained glass windows in St Nicholas Cathedral - Famagusta, Occupied Cyprus
Wooden lattices that replaced stained glass windows in St Nicholas Cathedral – Famagusta, Occupied Cyprus

Today

Cyprus became independent in 1960, and Turkey invaded again in 1972. To this day, Famagusta is still part of occupied Cyprus5.

A photo of the carpeted interior of St Nicholas Cathedral - Famagusta, Occupied Cyprus
The carpeted interior of St Nicholas Cathedral – Famagusta, Occupied Cyprus

The building is still the largest medieval building in Famagusta. It is a joy to behold, but up close the lack of restoration work is obvious. The twin towers of the cathedral still show signs of the 16th century siege. The addition of a minaret also added some structural damage.

The condition of the building is so dire that it has been in the news in February 2023. The President of the Famagusta Shopkeepers’ Association, Serdar Atay, called for urgent repair works because of the risk of collapse7. The In-Cyprus newspaper reported on cracks in every facade of the structure which highten the condition of the mosque7.

The carpeted inside of the building, has separate areas for men and women. I confess it felt strange to walk around a place like this without carefully-laid out rows of chairs or pews. The conversion works for a Muslim place of worship, but was disorienting for me.

References

  1. Uzay Bulut (2019). The Notre Dame Of Cyprus, St. Nicholas Cathedral, Is A Mosque Under Turkish Occupation Now. [online] dailycaller. Available at: https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/27/notre-dame-cyprus-nicholas-cathedral-mosque/ [Accessed 16 Aug. 2024][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
  2. www.cypnet.co.uk. (n.d.). Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque (St Nicholas Cathedral) – Famagusta, Cyprus – cypnet.co.uk. [online] Available at: http://www.cypnet.co.uk/ncyprus/city/famagusta/lala/index.html[↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
  3. The Reims of North Cyprus; Visit North Cyprus; (Retrieved 2022-10-25) [↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
  4. St. Nicholas Cathedral—Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque; St Nicholas Centre; (Retrieved 2022-10-25) [↩][↩][↩]
  5. Uzay Bulut (2019). The Notre Dame Of Cyprus, St. Nicholas Cathedral, Is A Mosque Under Turkish Occupation Now. [online] dailycaller. Available at: https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/27/notre-dame-cyprus-nicholas-cathedral-mosque/ [Accessed 16 Aug. 2024][↩][↩][↩]
  6. Aftermath of War: Cypriot Christians and Mediterranean Geopolitics, 1571-1625; Matthew Lubdin; Chapel Hill; 2012[↩]
  7. Saint Nicolas cathedral in occupied Famagusta in danger; In-Cyprus; 2023-02-19[↩][↩]
Remember: links were correct at time of publication.