Hagia Sophia Cathedral
| Department | Archive |
|---|---|
| Collection | Byzantine Research Fund |
| Reference No. | BRF/02/07/04/001 |
| Level | Item |
| Place |
Nicosia |
| Dates | 1888 |
| Donor/Creator |
Macmillan, Mr Malcolm Dyer, Mr Louis |
| Scope and Content | North tower (west front). This is a Hellenic Society photograph. It is numbered (H.S. 1808) and annotated in pencil at the back. Dyer?(donor), Macmillan and L |
| Further information | The cathedral of Hagia Sophia, located inside Nicosia walls at the occupied part of the city, is the largest and earliest Gothic church in Cyprus. The construction of the monument began around 1209 and although the church was consecrated in 1326, it was never actually completed. Worth noting is the architectural sculpture on the three west-façade entrances. After the conquest of Nicosia by the Turks (1570) the church was converted into a mosque and lost the greatest part of its fresco and sculpture decoration as well as its stained glass windows. The church also served as a mausoleum for members of the Lusignan family. |
| Related records |
[BSA SPHS 01/0434.1808], Cyprus, Nicosia: The Cathedral of Ayia Sophia Mosque (Selimiye Mosque), 1888
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