Cyprus: Halla Sultan Tekke

My parents are really passionate about “touring” as they call it.  No matter where we have lived they have always carved out time and money to take our family to see everything within a day's drive (sometimes two).  It is my favorite family tradition and I’m so grateful that my parents have kept it up all these years.  At one point during our trip I was thanking my dad for driving us all over the island and he said “well people show love in different ways and this is my way.”  We had a great time and learned so much about the history, culture and current conflict in Cyprus that I feel like I should have earned college credit for the trip. 

When my parents picked us up from the airport they asked us if we were hungry and when we said “no” the sightseeing began.  We were taken directly to Hala Sultan Tekke, a beautiful mosque located on the shores of the Larnaca Salt Lake.  The mosque was built in honor of the Muhammad's nanny.  She fell from her mule during a siege and died near the site and her grave became a sacred shrine.   Eventually the mosque was built around it in her honor and it is now considered the third most holy site for Muslims.  Sadly because Cyprus is divided, and this mosque is on the the Greek side, it is now infrequently visited by pilgrims. 

This is a picture of the inside that I got off the internet.  I didn’t feel comfortable taking pictures inside. 

After leaving the Mosque we visited St. Lazarus’s Church where supposedly Lazarus was buried for the second time.  It was interesting to see two places of worship from different religions that were both in honor of the deaths of people who were famous for their connection to someone more famous. It was getting dark and my pictures didn’t turn out well.