Arabahmet Mosque, Nicosia

Many mosques in Nicosia are converted churches. The Arabhamet Mosque however, was built as a mosque on the site of a demolished Latin Church. It is designed in the Anatolian style. It is square with a domed roof and a single tall minaret. It is named for Ahmet Pasha, a senior commander of the Ottoman army of the 16th century.

The building has extensive renovations in the 19th and 20th centuries. The interior is simple, carpeted, with a green pulpit. But the mosque holds a secret. The stone floors under the carpets are made from the tombstones of French crusader knights. The stones are part of the salvage from the old church. One is for Louis de Nores, 1369.

Among the relics of the Mosque is a hair believed to have been culled from the beard of the Prophet. It is shown to believers once a year. The tomb of Kamil Pasha is here. He was the only Cypriot to become Grand Vizier of the Empire four times. The serene shaded garden holds the white marble tombstones of several distinguished pashas.