Rating
4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)
User Reviews
Sinan Pasha Mosque was built around 1360 (originally as Christian Church of Saints Peter and Paul), supposedly with a third of the profits of a single trading venture of one of Famagusta's wealthiest businessmen, Simon Nostrano. it is one of the largest of the Gothic cathedrals in Famagusta, and is similar in design to St George of the Greeks, which was built around the same time.
Because of its massive height, the church walls had to be supported by flying buttresses, but perhaps shallow foundations, perhaps earthquakes meant that a further row of buttresses had to be constructed on the southern side in the 16th century, giving the church a unique appearance. Even now, if you look along the line of the wall, you can see it bowing outwards.
It is thought that the building became disused during the Venetian period, as it escaped the attention of the Ottoman bombardment of the city in 1571. After their conquest, the Ottomans took over the church as a mosque, naming it the Sinan Pasha Mosque. They added a minaret, to the south west corner, but that broke off centuries ago, and it now reaches no further than roof level. In fact, if you look at the minaret, it still shows signs of an imminent collapse.
During the British time, the mosque was used as a potato and grain store, leading to it being known locally as the 'wheat mosque' (Bugday Cami). It was further used as a store for redundant council equipment. In 1934 it was a petrol store. By 1964 it had been converted into Famagusta's town hall and library. Records from 1968 has it as a cafe, bar and dance hall. It is currently closed pending renovation.
In the southern courtyard, underneath the second row of buttresses, you will find the grave of Yirmisekiz Celebi, who was a renowned diplomat, serving as the Ottoman ambassador to France, but died in exile in Cyprus in 1732.
References:Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.
The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.
The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.
Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.
The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.
The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.