- Address: Tekke Road, Larnaca, Cyprus
- Architectural style: Ottoman architecture
- Year of foundation: 1816.
Near the village of Dromolaksiya, on the shore of Lake Aliki stands the Hala Sultan Tekke Mosque - one of the main attractions of Larnaca . It is named after the beloved aunt of the Prophet Muhammad, Umm Haaram, or Umm Haram (according to some other legends she was his adopted mother). Just at this time, the Arab troops invaded Cyprus and Umm Haar accompanied them - to carry Islam to the inhabitants of Cyprus . At this point, she fell from the mule, stumbling against a stone and crashed to death. This sad event happened in 649 year. The aunt's prophet was buried on the shore of the Salt Lake , and on her grave was installed a stone block weighing almost 15 tons - the legend says that the stone for her grave was brought by the angels.
What is interesting about the mosque?
In 1760, a mausoleum was built over the grave itself, and in 1816 a mosque was erected nearby and a garden with fountains was broken. The word "Tekke" is translated as "monastery" - this means that the pilgrims could stop here for the night.
The Hala Sultan Tekke mosque is not only the main Muslim shrine of Cyprus : it occupies the fourth place among all Islamic shrines in the world (the first three places are occupied by Mecca, Medina and the Jerusalem mosque of Al-Aqsa). By the way, this place is considered sacred and among local Christians - it is believed that if you pray here for healing, you will surely recover.
In addition to Umm Haaram, Khatija, the great-grandmother of Hussein, the previous king of Jordan, who died in 1999, the daughter of Mustafa Rezi Pasha, Queen Adil Hussein Ali, the wife of the ruler of Mecca, is buried here. There are other graves here. The cemetery of the Turkish governors is located in the eastern part of the complex.
Today, the Hala Sultan Tekke is an extensive complex that includes not only a mosque with a minaret and a mausoleum, but also many other buildings, including residential buildings, where dervishes could stay for the night - they are near the entrance to the garden. "Guest" buildings are two: one for men only, another for men and women ("female" and "male" parts are separated from each other). Previously, there was a separate entrance for women, but today they can enter the central door like men, and only then they go up to the second floor - to a special "female part".
To the east of the mosque, during the construction and restoration work, a settlement of the Bronze Age was discovered, in which ceramic articles related to the Creto Mycenaean culture, ivory products and other artifacts were found. Today they can be seen in Larnaca , in the Turkish fort.
How to visit the mosque?
To get to the Sultan Tekke Hala mosque is very simple - on the road B4 you have to drive just about 5 kilometers. The entrance to the mosque is free - today it is more a tourist object than a cult object. You can completely free of charge not only to see the mosque, but also to listen to the story of the guide who will tell you about the history of the mosque. It is open daily, in the summer months - from 7-30 to 19-30, the rest of the time it starts at 9-00, and ends in April, May, September and October - at 18-00, and from November to March - at 17-00. The main religious Islamic holidays - Kurban Bairam and Uraza-Bairam - are held here, so at this time it is better not to visit the mosque, so as not to interfere with the believers.
Tourists who have already visited here, recommend visiting the mosque at sunset, because at this time the view of Larnaka, located on the opposite shore of the lake, is particularly beautiful. Do not forget that before entering the mosque, you need to wash your feet (for this purpose there is a fountain in front of the entrance) and take off your shoes. Women should also wear special robes and scarves, which can be taken directly in front of the entrance to the mosque.
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