Divided Nicosia VI (Full-size image)
Former Cathedral of Saint Sophia, now a mosque (Selimiye Camii) in the Turkish occupied sector of Nicosia, Cyprus. The cathedral was constructed over a Byzantine church by French architects and craftsmen and it is a beautiful example of medieval French architecture. Building work on the church started in 1209, and took almost 150 years to complete. It is thought to be one of the best examples of Gothic Art in Cyprus. The minarets were added around 1570 when the Ottomans conquered Nicosia and it was converted into the chief mosque of Cyprus.
Nicosia the capital of Cyprus, is now Europe’s only militarily divided city. The city has been divided into Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot zones since the Turkish invasion in 1974. The ceasefire line from 1974 today separates the two communities on the island, and is commonly referred to as the Green Line.
©2008 Jordan Kevrekidis
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Kevrekidis on deviantART
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