Hagios Nikolaos Cathedral
| Department | Archive |
|---|---|
| Collection | Byzantine Research Fund |
| Reference No. | BRF/02/07/02/003 |
| Level | Item |
| Place |
Famagusta |
| Dates | before 1913? |
| Donor/Creator |
Hogarth, Mr David George |
| Scope and Content | East end. The photograph is annotated in pencil at the back. |
| Further information | Famagusta cathedral, the appointed place for the coronation of the Lusignan kings of Cyprus, is mentioned in the sources as early as 1300. At about the same time began the construction of the monument which replaced an earlier, much less important church. After the Turks besieged Nicosia in 1570 it was transformed into a mosque. The cathedral consists of a seven-bay nave ending in a polygonal apse flanked by aisles ending in similarly-shaped apsidal chapels. The building constitutes one of the finest and most robust examples of Gothic architecture in Europe. It is built of fine limestone and its windows and the two lateral doorways are worthy of note. However, most impressive is the west façade flanked by two imposing towers decorated with ribbed pointed arches. Two chapels were added to the monument in the 14th c.: the south-eastern has been identified as the tomb of James the Bastard. Some remains of stained glass are preserved in the south aisle. |