Selimiye Mosque
Parts of the Selimiye mosque in Nicosia, North Cyprus, date from the 13th century, and it was originally constructed as a Byzantine Christian cathedral.
In 1570 the Muslim Ottomans took the city, and renamed it the 'Hagia Sophia Mosque', a name which lasted until 1954, when it was renamed the Selimiye Mosque. The minaret seen here was originally a bell tower, and was converted and extended by the Ottomans.
Selimiye Mosque
Parts of the Selimiye mosque in Nicosia, North Cyprus, date from the 13th century, and it was originally constructed as a Byzantine Christian cathedral.
In 1570 the Muslim Ottomans took the city, and renamed it the 'Hagia Sophia Mosque', a name which lasted until 1954, when it was renamed the Selimiye Mosque. The minaret seen here was originally a bell tower, and was converted and extended by the Ottomans.