Islam in Cyprus

Islam in Northern Cyprus

Muslims make up about 99% of the population of Northern Cyprus.

Islam was first introduced to Cyprus when Osman, the third caliph of the Rashidin Arab Empire, conquered the island in 649. Cyprus remained a disputed territory between Greeks and Arabs for the following centuries until it came under Latin power during the Crusades. This island was conquered by the Ottoman general Lala Mustafa Pasha from the Venetians in 1570. This conquest brought with it the settlement of Turks from 1571 to 1878. Especially during the 17th century, the Muslim population of the island grew rapidly, partly due to the presence of Turkish immigrants and also due to the conversion of Greeks to the holy religion of Islam.

Turkish Cypriots are the vast majority of the island's Muslims, along with Turkish immigrants from Turkey, and adhere to the Sunni branch of Islam. Sufism also plays an important role. Historically, Muslims were scattered throughout Cyprus, but since 1974 they have mainly lived in the north. The Ahmadiyya Muslim community is also present in the north. ]

There are several important Islamic shrines and places on this island, which include:

• Arabahmet Mosque in Nicosia (built in the 16th century)
• Teke Hala Sultan/Umm Haram Mosque in Larnaca (built in the 18th century)
• Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque
• Salimiya Mosque
• Heydar Pasha Mosque
  Former Catholic churches left over from the Crusader era, which were meant to be exclusively for the Catholic minority who ruled the island, were converted into mosques after the Muslim conquests in the Middle Ages.

All of the mentioned cases, except for Hala Sultan, are in Northern Cyprus, which we will discuss in detail about these mosques in another article.